Why Identify an Educational Researcher’s Impact?

Students, teachers, and educational institutions make up a complex yet intangible system of learning.  At the heart of this system is the objectives of each stakeholder – all met in an environment everyone refers to as school, college, or university.

Apart from the system’s heart, there also are its arms and hands.  These may be inclusive of the education system’s front-liners – the teachers, students, and active school administrators and officials.  Now, something’s missing in the picture; where’s the linkage between the heart, arms, and hands? 

That linkage is a heterogeneous composite of differing schools of thought about the teaching practice.  Part of this heterogeneous make-up is the Educational Researcher.  This researcher, focusing either on theories or application, produces significant outputs of which creates an impact on the teaching practice and on the education system as a whole.

Unfortunately, not everyone is appreciative of the educational researcher’s efforts.  How could one tell such lack?  The simple truth is that there goes less and less funding for educational research.  And this is queer; societies all over the world recognise the fact that if they want to lead, they must start by founding their youth with high quality education.  In fact, ‘high quality’ is an oft-used term in association to global competence. 
   
Evidently, this less funding is a result of the ‘marketing adversity’ – which implicates that regardless of threats in funding; an educational researcher must continue to assert legitimacy, as well as their cause’s significance.  Apart from lobbying significance, the research sector should continue to persist in fighting the ignorance that continues to downplay their contribution to their sworn sector.

And the struggle shouldn’t just stick up on affected research folks; it should also encompass the public, or stakeholders.  They might not see it now, but this researcher-dilemma may no sooner be theirs, too.  

A Project Called Educational Research

Educational research is a big project that anyone could undertake. Why? It is primarily because this type of research does not just any type of research. When undertaking this project, an educational researcher needs to devote a lot of time, exert considerable amount of effort and spend a chunk of his resources. Aside from that, the researcher needs to follow certain instructions and adhere to the limits inherent to the project. But how come that educational research is also a project?

As a project, an educational research could be divided into five main phases -- definition, planning, execution, controlling and closure.

1. Initiation. Also called the definition phase, it is during this phase that the educational researcher defines his goals and targets in pursuing. There is always a big academic reason why the research should be pursued.

2. Planning. A researcher could not just go and conduct his research without planning first what to do. To plan is to organise all the tasks needed to accomplish the defined goals and targets. Planning also involves formulating a methodology to undertake the research.

3. Execution. This is the phase in which the student performs the planned tasks in the research. This represents the commencement of the formal research process. During the execution phase, the educational researcher should strive to follow the plans he has set.

4. Controlling. After executing the plans, the researcher may need to undertake some actions to spot or identify some problems to the problems. Updates may be needed to ensure the quality of the research done.

5. Closing. This refers to the phase when the researcher submits the results and findings of the educational research.
Since educational research exhibits these phases in order to achieve a certain goal within a limited time, it could be called a project.

Educational Researcher: Asking Your Question

Facilitating growth in the education sector is not easy. There are stages of which the sector has to pass thro and fro. There are stakeholders to be acknowledged. And before solution is realised, there are questions to put forward.

Who asks these questions? -- Everyone asks, from the student to instructor, from school administrator to students’ parents. Next part of the interrogation: “who filters these questions and looks for answers?” The answer is an educational researcher.

This researcher does the investigation for each issue, the hunt for clues to answers, and considering that all questions and clues are in place, also formulates hypotheses and solutions. The conduct of performing these deeds greatly depend in the kind of approach used, and the type of position the educational researcher assumes.

If the researcher already teaches and is bound to do the research in prospect of actual application (primarily to his/her instructive purposes), the researcher is adhering to the Applied Research. On the other hand, if the researcher doesn’t necessarily take a teacher’s post, but is, instead taking up the research for graduate studies, the researcher is considered to be carrying the Academic Research.

Despite differing goals and methods, both are considered to be an educational researcher; in fact, the common denominator is improvement and contribution to a main segment (the education sector). For this researcher to commence stirring the waves of this sector, the researcher must be in command to both quantitative and qualitative methods. Moreover, in answer to the necessities of the study, the researcher must also look for ways to affect the co-adaption of both methods.

Because of the advance nature to which educational research is journeyed, it became a breeding ground for education theorists and application specialists. This pool is an invaluable addition to the growing sector of education.

Educational Researcher: Mining for Problems & Solutions

In learning the ABC’s of education, you may have come across the term, educational research. A forming frame of the education’s pillars, educational research has been an all-encompassing field dedicated to discover the holy grail of aspects of education. In task of administering this research is the Educational Researcher.

What are the roles of this specific researcher? The researcher’s functions can be metaphorically compared to that of a miner. While a miner endeavors to extract valuable minerals, an Educational Researcher, on the other hand, tries to dig for problems and solutions.
 
For researchers opting to discover problems having significant impacts in an education aspect, they are described to take the academic or basic approach. Moreover, researchers adopting this kind of approach are conducting the research in accord to gaining Master’s or Doctorate degrees.

On the solutions-mining side, researchers are known to prescribe under the applied approach. The rationale of such solutions-mining is the inherent requisite of the approach to facilitate a simulation or temporal application of the proposed solution to validate the solution’s positive, negative, or neutral impacts.

However, regardless of the appropriated approach, an Educational Researcher has to observe a specialist stature in the education field. This is made possible not simply by uncovering the fundamentals of education; it also helps that the researcher has an in-depth understanding of the systems working behind the education picture.

Without such appreciation of the existing systems, a researcher is invariably bound to get lost and entangled with the web of workings that abundantly manifests itself in certain aspects of education.

Indeed, whoever chooses to undertake such research in education is seriously in for a challenge – numerous challenges. Moreover, such mission entails not just systematic, but systemic integration under the researcher’s tools as this permit a harmonious channel towards all other fields concern.

Preparing Academic Curriculum Suited to Students’ Needs

The main function of schools, universities and colleges is to expedite a very important process called education. Education, in general, could be defined as the formal process of passing sets of knowledge, skills and values. Schools and universities typically prepare a set of curriculum for their students, which are researched, developed and designed to impart knowledge and skills at the most efficient and effective manner.

The academic curriculum is usually prepared according to the needs of the students. Primary and secondary schools prepare their curriculum focused on imparting general and basic knowledge that would become a strong foundation when students proceed to higher education. An educational researcher will try to develop and prepare a curriculum that would greatly benefit students. Educating an individual is like building a structure, a strong foundation is needed.

Higher education institutions, meanwhile, are obliged to prepare a curriculum that would fit the course taken by students. An educational researcher tasked to formulate a curriculum has to consider the necessity of the subjects to be included as well as their value on shaping up an individual. For example, a business management course must be laden with subjects that would contribute to the rearing up of the students as future business managers. An educational researcher may include subjects that relate to marketing, research, human resource, production, and business law. Including these subjects in the curriculum of a business management course would duly train and educate students taking up the field.

Research is really needed to determine what subjects should be offered to students to train them the proper way. An unrelated subject may just waste the time and efforts of students. Some subjects though may seem not related to the course, but students will recognize the value and importance of the training they got from the subjects.

Two Approaches Uses in Educational Research

Research is the systematic approach in investigating new or existing knowledge. When applied in education, research could help assess or evaluate the different elements of education that includes but not limited to: structure of the education system, academic curriculum, modes of teaching, and teacher training methods. The educational researcher must evaluate the changes and impact of these elements and suggest an acceptable course of action. To evaluate the different elements of education, there are two main approaches that an education researcher could use: the basic and the applied research approaches.

The first approach is the basic approach, which is also known as the academic research approach. In the approach, the educational researcher will have to focus on the development of educational theory. Academic researchers are usually affiliated with an academic institution and are doing the research as part of the graduate work.

The second approach is the applied research, also known as contract research approach. As the name implies, research is done to search for information that will influence practice of education. An educational researcher using this approach tries to seek solutions to existing educational problems. They are usually commissioned by a sponsor, which needs are being addressed in the research.

There are also other major differences between the basic and applied research approaches. One difference is that the results of a research using the basic approach become the property of the research community. The results of a research using the applied approach become the property of the sponsor or contractor.

Another difference is that the basic approach rarely includes recommendations while the applied approach involves making recommendations. Also, research reports using the basic approach are intended for other researchers of the same field, while research reports using applied approach are intended to be read and understood by typical persons.

The Work of an Educational Researcher

An educational researcher evaluate, using different methods, the many aspects of education. The aspects of education include, among others, student learning, teaching methods, classroom dynamics and teacher education and training.

The educational researcher would say that their research must be conducted in a systematic and rigorous manner. However, this consensus among educational research professionals has implications which are under debate. Their field involves different disciplines in different extents. They include sociology, psychology, philosophy and anthropology. They overlap and generate a wide scope from which methodology can be derived. It is also important to note that educational research findings also must be analysed within the context in which they were derived. This is because they may not apply to all times and places.

The work of the educational researcher is to find possible solutions to problems. One gathers new data from first-hand or primary sources; he can also use existing data for new purposes. He bases his research on empirical evidence or observable experience. The observations and descriptions he makes must be accurate. In their work, these professionals use procedures and rigorous analyses which are carefully made.

The main thrust of professionals in educational research is to develop generalisations, principles or theories which will contribute to understanding, prediction and control. The expertise required of them include mastery of the field, proficiency with methodology and data collection and analysis skills. Aside from attempting to solve a problem, these professionals also an attempt to determine a purpose. They also aim to identify objective solutions to the problem and must painstakingly validate the procedures they employ. They do their work in a deliberate and unhurried manner. Their work is directional but almost always narrow down a problem or questions while the research takes its course. Part of their work is to carefully record and report their research to persons who have interest in the problem.