Educational Research: Concepts, Types, Characteristics

Over time, research types have multiplied and become more structured. They have different norms and characteristics, and of these types, we will talk about educational research that relates to the educational process.

Concept of educational research

It is one of the types of scientific research that seeks to identify and control educational problems and phenomena and find appropriate solutions to them. We can say that it is an applied study with structured scientific effort in the field of educational work to improve educational practices and achieve educational objectives more effectively and efficiently.

The application of scientific research has now become an important part of the teaching process around the world because scientific research provides scientific findings and facts about the phenomenon or problem studied and offers the actual methods of solving them with a purely scientific approach away from speculation, to avoid falling into the trap of hypotheses that have no scientific and factual basis.

Educational research is the most important type of scientific research. Through it, the steps to be taken at the beginning of a study of a new phenomenon or problem are summarised in a logical and scientific approach.

Types of educational research

Educational research features multiple types, each competent to achieve certain objectives. These types include:

1. Educational research according to its objective

1.1. Basic educational research

It is research aimed at adding new laws, theories, or knowledge to the former without experimenting or ascertaining whether these principles accept application or are not applicable. The fundamental pillar of this type of educational research is careful scientific analysis that brings us to the new principles in educational manifestations which serve the educational process.

1.2. Applied educational research

This type of research completes the basic educational research. It aims at the scientific application of the knowledge, principles, and new realities of basic educational research, through which its applicability is ascertained to be disseminated to solve educational problems.

1.3. Procedural educational research

It is the research that aims at solving a specific educational problem. Research findings are not It is only the problem that has been studied, not necessarily the obligation to apply the rules of the scientific curriculum in this type of research. A group of teachers usually does it only to provide a scientific solution to the problem facing their educational staff.

2. Educational research according to its scientific purpose

2.1. Professional educational research

It is research carried out by researchers for a functional purpose such as their promotion in their work, which is required for a particular position, or other professional objectives.

2.2. Academic educational research

It is the most widespread type of educational research among researchers because it is intended for educational attainment and achievement of a high scientific degree, such as research for admission to postgraduate and doctoral studies.

3. Educational research according to the people who prepared it

3.1. Educational research prepared individually

Research conducted by only one person without intervention by another person who presents its findings.

3.2. Educational research prepared collectively

Educational research prepared by a group of individuals. This type of research is often found in universities. Graduation projects and practical projects during study are shared by several students, and collective research has the advantage that material costs are low because they are common to all.

4. Educational research according to the scholarly curriculum used by the researcher

4.1. Experimental educational research

In this type of research, the researcher relies on the experimental scientific curriculum; that is, the basis for doing research in the experiment to reveal the relationship of variables with some of them or can be said to reveal the relationship of variables with an independent variable determined by the researcher.

4.2. Descriptive educational research

This research is based on the prescriptive scientific curriculum, which is one of the most widely used in the delivery of educational research. It includes observation and description of educational phenomena.

Educational research characteristics

Educational research is characterised by several characteristics. These characteristics are suitable for many other scientific research:

Following a clear plan regarding steps and stages, we cannot move to a new phase before the previous phase is strictly applied and validated.
Credibility in the results. The results of educational research can always be relied upon, and if the research is repeated, almost the same results will be achieved. That is, we can say that its results are relatively constant.
In objectivity, the researcher is not inclined to their personal opinion but accepts other views that are contrary to their opinion and proves their findings even if they are contrary to their point of view.
Helping to create new information and data from reliable sources for use in subsequent research, and helping to develop principles and laws, which provides a better view of the issues solved by educational research.
Not having a single jurisdiction, as it is multidisciplinary and encompasses many important areas of life in all kinds of arts, sciences and social subjects. The researchers can choose their subject matter according to their area and interests.
Ensuring answers to questions related to problems that have not been resolved before, thus finding solutions to various educational problems.

Educational research objectives

Discovering new information will help solve educational problems, thereby increasing professionals’ understanding of the different dimensions of the educational process and giving new ways to better develop it.
Revealing the strengths and weaknesses of educational systems to develop the strengths further and address the weaknesses to become strengths.
Teachers are introduced to the effective methods that they must apply in the classroom during the teaching of lessons to help students get the information more easily, and developing these methods constantly.

The importance of educational research

Helping prepare researchers for the educational process, this is because it informs them of previous educational studies and research related to the educational process, and thus develops their abilities in this field so that they can choose problems to research them in an accurate manner.
Enabling the researcher of the analytical reading of research, thus summarizing its findings and determining the usefulness it can offer in the field of education.
Positively affecting students because it helps them to apply their knowledge and information in practical situations. That is, converting theoretical study into practical study in reality.
Research can, therefore, be a student's educational tool. It activates the students’ minds and motivates them to think, question a particular matter, and seek the truth, thereby developing their skills by analysing their information to bring about new knowledge.

Characteristics of educational researchers

Because the researcher is the basis of the research process, success or failure stops, this means that no one can undertake educational research. There are characteristics to be found in the researcher, such as:

Curiosity: they must have a constant passion for knowledge, curiosity about all phenomena, and endeavour to solve all the problems facing educational systems.
They must be constantly willing to receive new information and experiences that they are ignorant of and new perspectives, and they must be convinced that they need science and knowledge whatever their scientific achievement.
A successful educational researcher has a high analytical capacity and is accurate and highly attentive.
The educational researcher has a high capacity for creativity and innovation and for discovering new methods of developing the educational process.
A successful researcher must be highly able to focus on their No external object or personal circumstance is allowed to influence the results of their research and remove them from achieving their goals from research.
A successful educational researcher has a high ability to communicate, this is because most research needs to meet many people from school principals to teachers or other specialists whose expertise or knowledge needs to collect the data needed for them to successfully complete their
Insistence, as the obstacles or challenges they could face during their research, were not allowed to cause them to retreat from the search and abandon their
A successful educational researcher must prepare to do whatever the research needs because success deserves fatigue and scarification. Some research, for example, requires the researcher to travel elsewhere for research.

Educational research steps

Educational research like the rest of the research has several steps before reaching the desired results:

Identifying the problem that the researcher is trying to solve.
Identifying the place and time of research, the persons concerned and those who form the educational research framework.
Reviewing previous research or procedures followed by researchers before it to solve the same problem.
Identifying the causes and factors that led to this problem based on the analysis and interpretation of the data it collected on the problem to achieve sound results.
Determining exactly what the researcher wants to come up with from this research to know the study’s objectives.
Identifying the methodology for educational research that will be adopted to carry out this research, including interviews and questionnaires.
Creating a detailed research report ensures the entire research process, as well as the results of the research.

Obstacles to educational research

Some educational research can be rather costly; if it’s not funded, it can’t be done.
Researchers undertake educational research for the purpose of obtaining the certificate only, without adequate attention to the problem studied.
Local scientific management is somewhat weak in educational research.
Absence of precise definition of concepts and policies of educational research.
It’s difficult to subject pedagogical methods to experience. This has a negative impact on research.
There is a dimension and gap between research results and field educational practices. This leads to ineffective research in educational systems.
Insufficient qualifications for educational researchers and lack of research staff.
Absence of communication between producers of research and consumers.
There’s not enough database to do the research.

Conclusion

Educational research is very important in the educational process. It expands knowledge and produces new knowledge that solves students’ and teachers’ intellectual needs, answers all queries and questions, and interprets teaching phenomena pragmatically and realistically. This in turn, develops educational systems.