Issues Facing Educational Researchers in the United States

In an article written by David F. Labaree published with the URL www.stanford.edu/.../Ed_Researchers_Living_with_Lesser.pdf he argued that educational knowledge have advantages and disadvantages for educational researchers because they both constrain and enable the work of the latter. Educational knowledge has the following characteristics:

• soft
• applied
• provides use value

This results to knowledge production in education which is organised in a manner that is structurally egalitarian and also substantively divergent. This results to some negative consequences such as when educational researchers are unable to speak with authority about their field of study. They also feel the pressure to copy forms of intellectual practice which are considered unproductive. There are also some positive consequences such as when educational researchers have the possibility to speak to a wider lay audience and participate in a mode of scholarly production which is for the most part open and not too regulated.

It is important to remember that the knowledge produced by educational researchers for schools is different to other forms of knowledge which are generated in a university setting. Education schools are often seen to be easy picking for criticism, especially in the United States because of several of its characteristics such as the following which does not make it easy for its practitioners and supporters to defend to its naysayers:

• It has origins (the 19th-century normal school) which are considered to be lowly
• The social standing of its primary clients such as women and working class are likewise considered to be inferior
• It prepares students to professions which are not considered to be for the elite or extremely intellectual or skilled
• Its curriculum and academic standards are traditionally viewed as weak
• Its faculty and students are generally seen as less talented or able than their other counterparts elsewhere

The Functions of an Educational Researcher

An educational researcher helps us to better understand and improve the processes of learning and education. They do research and study such topics as Teaching, Classroom Management, Psychology, Testing, Child Development and Cognitive Science. Among the basic questions involved in educational research and which are ultimately tied to the functions of an educational researcher are the following:

• What is the significance of doing educational research?
• What areas is educational research contributing to?
• Who will benefit from doing educational research?
• How does educational research improve education and learning?

Note that the public does not have a high regard for educational research in general and by association, some educational researchers. Therefore, another important question as to why this is so. Perhaps the solution lies in having educational research understandable and accessible. Is there a way to develop a shared understanding amongst educational communities? How can this contribute to educational reform by means of modifying educational policies and practices?

Educational researchers, in order to find the relevance of the questions and concerns above, should rethink their roles, methods, texts, and contexts. Particularly, they should reconsider the target audiences that will benefit from the educational research they are doing and how they relate to these audiences. If we are seeking to improve the relationship between educational research, how policies are created in aid of education and how practice is achieved in education, an approach will need to be created that can address technical questions relating to education.

An educational research study will need to address the following issues in order to prove its validity:

The presence or absence of a control group
The random assignment of control and experimental groups
The sample size
The statistical significance of the results
In cases of a matched study, whether the groups share extreme similarity with one another

Educational Paths For Becoming an Educational Researcher

       Becoming an education researcher or educational researcher is a career option for individuals who have already finished with their undergraduate or bachelor's degree and are planning to take up master's degrees or doctorate degrees. Educational research involves the various methods that the individuals use in evaluating the different aspects of education including student learning, methods of teaching, teacher training, and classroom dynamics. Educational research is also described as the study of behavioral patterns that are related to learning in schools and other educational programs.

        I am current taking up a bachelor's degree in education, but I have heard about the career option of educational researcher so I researched and read some materials in the university library on how to become an education researcher. I have learned that a postgraduate degree such as a master's degree or doctorate degree is the primary educational approach for aspiring educational researchers. However, the individual should preferably be a graduate of an education related undergraduate degree and have had some working experience as a teacher, academic or educator.

        I also learned that an aspiring educational researcher should consider several factors when he is selecting a particular postgraduate degree program for educational researchers. The individual should select a postgraduate degree program that involves a comprehensive curriculum for the education and training of educational researchers. The curriculum should include knowledge and training for conducting studies and tests that use qualitative and quantitative methods of research, educational research and policy, the approaches in educational research, the methodology in educational research, and other necessary knowledge and skills.

        The postgraduate degree program should preferably include a dissertation or thesis project that involves a substantial research project. When you have completed the educational requirements and training for an education researcher, the primary work settings where you could work includes universities, non-government organizations, and government agencies.

Jobs for Educational Researchers

The general task of educational researchers is to study teaching methods and strategies, how to identify those that are working as well as those that are not working and help to improve it. Educational researchers possibly work in one of several areas related to the scientific theory of teaching, or what is often called instructional theory, pedagogy or instructional design. Educational researchers who develop and test new teaching methods that schools can use are called instructional coordinators. They are most likely employed by school districts themselves. Other educational researchers participate in experiments in child psychology, education policy or the implementation and evaluation of new teaching methods through pilot programs.

Below are descriptions of the functions and responsibilities of educational researchers:

• Instructional coordinators. They are responsible for developing curricula and educating teachers on how to improve their teaching methods. Thus, they identify aspects of teaching methods that need to be fixed and design programs to improve it with the aid of the principles of developmental psychology, technology or social science research. This type of educational researchers do a considerable amount of research work and attend many conferences.

• Developmental Psychology Researchers. These educational researchers study the child developmental process, primarily on the aspect of how a child's mind acquires and stores new information. They use theories of child development to create and improve teaching methods as well as find treatments for mental illnesses. They are often connected to research projects at higher academic institutions.

• Education Policy Researchers. Most of education research studies how a public school system should ideally be financed and administrated. Educational researchers focusing on this area are called policy analysts. Policy analysts are also responsible for developing and promoting effective education policies based on existing academic knowledge. Educational researchers doing this area of research are often employees of policy institutes or research universities.