Traditions of inquiry in education: Engaging the paradigms of educational research

Hanan A. Alexander

doi:10.1007/978-94-007-6809-3_2

Traditions of inquiry in education: Engaging the paradigms of educational research

Hanan A. Alexander

Department of Learning and Instructional Sciences

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

Abstract

In this chapter I examine debates over the relative merits of qualitative and quantitative research in education from the perspective of Michael Oakeshott's critique of rationalism in the study of human conduct. Contrary to the positivist view that causal explanation based on randomized experimentation is the highest standard of knowledge, I argue that when it comes to the study of human subjects, even statistical generalizations depend upon a prior form of qualitative understanding. The chapter concludes by considering some consequences of this perspective, which I call 'transcendental pragmatism,' for the practice of inquiry in education.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	A Companion to Research in Education
Publisher	Springer Netherlands
Pages	13-25
Number of pages	13
Volume	9789400768093
ISBN (Electronic)	9789400768093
ISBN (Print)	9400768087, 9789400768086
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6809-3_2
State	Published - 1 Oct 2014

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht. All rights are reserved by the Publisher.

Keywords

Educational research paradigms
Epistemology
Inquiry methods
Research methodology
Transcendental Pragmatism

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Social Sciences

Access to Document

10.1007/978-94-007-6809-3_2

Cite this

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Traditions of inquiry in education: Engaging the paradigms of educational research

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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