What is Education Research?
We all have our own beliefs about our role as teachers and how to teach most effectively. But what is the basis of these beliefs? Are our beliefs rooted in experiences or in evidence from scholars who have studied the inner workings of teaching and learning? The impact of our experiences can be quite powerful, but experiences can also mislead us. With the wealth of education research available to us today, we have an opportunity to make evidence-based decisions about teaching and learning. Also, we have opportunities to study our own classrooms and instructional interventions to add to the body of literature on effective teaching, especially in the various disciplines.
Education research uses the full range of scientific methods to examine various aspects of education and learning processes, as well as the human attributes, interactions, organizations, and institutions that shape educational outcomes. Sometimes this research examines a person’s life and how formal and informal contexts of education affect all forms of learning.
The purpose of education research is to expand the knowledge base about teaching and learning to improve educational practice. Educational research addresses a variety of variables, such as:
- Learning: How do students best learn various subjects? What strategies best support student mastery of core concepts and competencies?
- Instruction: What are the best teaching practices to foster student achievement?
- Motivation: What are the best practices to motivate students to achieve? What is the impact of targeted engagement strategies (e.g., Active Learning) on student motivation?
- Classroom Discourse: What is the nature of teacher-initiated discourse moves on student engagement and/or learning?
- Development: How do children and adults change over time, including their cognitive, social, and emotional competencies?
- Classroom Climate/Communities: What practices make the classroom optimal for student learning and best address issues of equity and inclusion?
Understanding current research in education and conducting high-quality educational research can have the following benefits:
-
Provide instruction that maximizes students' learning.
-
Understand and support the developmental needs of learners.
-
Develop educational environments that support students' motivation.
-
Provide solutions to educational problems.
References
- Gall, M. D., Gall, J. P., & Borg, W. R. (2003). Educational Research: An Introduction (7th ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Join a community of other researchers!
Discipline-based Education Research (DBER)
Discipline-based education research (DBER) is a term that has emerged in the last few decades to describe research that “investigates learning and teaching in a discipline using a range of methods with a deep grounding in the discipline’s priorities, worldview, knowledge, and practices. It is informed by and complementary to more general research on human learning and cognition” (National Research Council, 2012, 9). New knowledge developed through DBER has led to improvements in teaching and learning in a variety of disciplines, but significant opportunities for advancement remain (Henderson et al., 2017).
DBER Journal Club:
Details: DBER Journal Club focuses on the review and discussion of recent literature and sharing research findings. Conversations revolve around unpacking methods, understanding research goals and results, and discussing current and future research projects.
Contact: If you are interested in adding an email to our listserv, then please email Marcos García-Ojeda mgarcia-ojeda@ucmerced.edu.
Find Your Education Research Community Amongst Other Faculty
References
-
Henderson, C., et al., (2017). Towards the STEM DBER alliance: Why we need a discipline-based STEM education research community. International Journal of STEM Education, 4 (14). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-017-0076-1
-
National Research Council. (2012). Discipline-based education research: understanding and improving learning in undergraduate science and engineering, S. R. Singer, N. R. Nielsen, & H. A. Schweingruber (Eds.), Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13362.
Central Valley Regional Interdisciplinary Symposium on Education Research
The Central Valley Region Interdisciplinary Symposium on Education Research (CVRISER) aims to bring together researchers, educators, students, and leaders in the California Central Valley's institutions.
- Discuss recent education research efforts and scientific evidence
- Propose pathways to addressing gaps in education research
- Facilitate interdisciplinary conversations and inter-institutional collaborations that elevate educational research and ensure research findings are documented, disseminated, and implemented to have a positive experience on our students' learning.
