Session Information
00 SES 09.2 Keynote, The Two Cultures of Educational Research
Keynote Speaker
The Keynote will be streamed to room B020
Contribution
The field of educational research seems to be characterised by a number of divisions, splits and rifts. Some of these are fairly superficial and turn out not to be that difficult to bridge. Here we can think, for example, of the use of qualitative and quantitative data and the recent development of mixed approaches. In other cases things go a bit deeper, such as with regard to the difference between research that seeks to explain and research that seeks to understand, albeit that here rapprochement is also not impossible. And there are distinctions that operate as strong divisions, such as between educational research that thinks of itself as a form of social science and educational research that sees itself more strongly rooted in the humanities. While these distinctions and divisions play a role in many countries around the world – and hence are also clearly visible within Europe – different countries and settings have engaged with these issues in very different ways, leading to distinctively different patterns in the social and political organisation of educational research. These patterns partly have to do with aspects mentioned above – which we could characterise as methodological – but are also connected to very different understandings of education itself and of its academic study. What emerges from all this is a view of educational research as a divided field and moreover a field where there is often little communication and interaction between the different positions. In my presentation I will explore some of the historical trajectories of the field of educational research, paying attention to commonalities and (national) differences. Against this background I will raise the question what this might mean for the future of educational research – both with regard to its actual and its desired future.
Method
Expected Outcomes
References
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