Characteristics of Educational Research:
1. Educational research is directed towards the solution of a problem in the field of
education. It may attempt to answer a question or to determine the relation between two
or more variables.
2. It emphasizes the development of generalizations, principles or theories that will be
helpful in predicting future occurrences.
3. Educational research, usually goes beyond the specific objects, groups or situations
investigated and infers characteristics of a target population from the sample observed.
4. Educational research involves getting new data from primary or first hand sources or
using existing data for a new purpose.
5. Educational research accepts only what can be verified by observation. Certain
interesting questions do not tend themselves to research procedures.
6. Although research activity may at times be somewhat random and unsystematic, it is
more often characterized by carefully designed procedures, always applying rigorous
analysis. Although trial and error are often involved, research is rarely a blind, shotgun
investigation
trying something to see what happens.
7. Research strives to be objective and logical, applying every possible test to validate
the procedures employed, the data collected and the conclusions reached. The researcher
attempts
to eliminate personal bias.
8. Research requires expertise. The researcher knows what is already known about the
problem and how others have investigated.
9. Educational research involves the quest for answers to unsolved problems. Pushing
back the
frontiers of ignorance is its goal and originality is frequently the quality of a good
research project.
10. Educational research is based on insight and imagination. It needs the service of man
who looks beyond the present.
11. Educational research requires interdisciplinary approach. It is related to the study of
complex relations about facts.
12. Educational research is not so exact a research as physical science. In the latter we
can control the events but in educational research it is not possible.
13. Educational research has a great field. Educational psychology, educational
philosophy,
methodology, class organization and management, child development and other subjects
are the fields of research in education.
1. It sets out to solve a specific problem.
2. Educational research adopts primary and secondary research methods in
its data collection process. This means that in educational research, the
investigator relies on first-hand sources of information and secondary
data to arrive at a suitable conclusion.
3. Educational research relies on empirical evidence. This results from its
largely scientific approach.
4. Educational research is objective and accurate because it measures
verifiable information.
5. In educational research, the researcher adopts specific methodologies,
detailed procedures, and analysis to arrive at the most objective responses
6. Educational research findings are useful in the development of principles
and theories that provide better insights into pressing issues.
7. This research approach combines structured, semi-structured, and
unstructured questions to gather verifiable data from respondents.
8. Many educational research findings are documented for peer review
before their presentation.
9. Educational research is interdisciplinary in nature because it draws from
different fields and studies complex factual relations.
CHARACTERISTICS OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
10. Research is a way of thinking and to qualify as a research it needs to have certain
characteristics such as follows (adaptation of Leedy, 1993, Borg & Borg, 1983)
11. Research begins with a question in the mind of the researcher.
12. You need only to look around and everywhere you see phenomena which will arouse your
interest. For example, why are children in this school unable to read? Why are girls performing
better than boys? These are situations which we do not understand.
13. Research for studying the child
14. The knowledge of child psychology is very necessary for the teaching learning process and it is
only possible through research in education institutions under the supervision of the psychologist
and a good researcher
15. Research Give us feedback
16. Research give us feedback on every step of education, the quality of teacher, the quality of
curriculum, the behavior of the students, policies and planning and the need for the future
17. By asking relevant questions we create an environment which is essential for research
18. Research requires a plan.
19. One does not discover the truth or explanations about a phenomenon without serious and
careful planning. Research is not just by looking-up something in the hope of coming across the
solution to your problem. Rather it needs a certain plan, direction and design
20. Research demands a clear statement of the problem.
21. Successful research begins with a clear, simple statement of the problem. The statement of
the problem should be stated precisely and grammatically complete, must set forth what it seeks
to discover and enables one to see what one is attempting to research
22. Research deals with the main problem through sub-problems.
23. Divide the main problem into appropriate sub-problems, all of which when resolved will result in
the solution of the main research problem.
24. Research seeks direction through appropriate hypotheses
25. Having stated the problem and the related sub problems, the sub problems are then each
viewed through logical constructs called hypotheses
26. A hypothesis is a logical reasonable guess, an educated estimation which may give direction to
thinking with respect to the problem, and thus, aid in solving it.
27. Research deals with facts and their meaning.
28. Having defined the problem, the sub problems and hypothesis, the next step is to collect
whatever facts related to the problem. Organize the data collected into a form that is potentially
meaningful.
