Quastion Paper
UGRU Journal
Volume 8, Spring 2009
Educational Research: An introduction to basic concepts and terminology
By: Hilda Freimuth Introduction One of the major deterrents to pursuing a Ph.D. for many educators is the esoteric language used in research. This paper is meant to de-mystify some of the terminology as well as present some basic ideas studied in an educational research program. Although not perfect, this paper provides an easily-understandable perspective of some educational research concepts. The hope is to dispel fears other educators may have of pursuing higher levels of research study due to the difficulty of various concepts and terminology in the field. The paper concludes that there are many ways of conducting research and many ways in which the research process itself is influenced.
Concepts of Epistemology and Ontology The first two terms often associated with educational research, epistemology and ontology, frighten even the most educated of us. Before a discussion begins on epistemology and ontology and their effects on one’s choice of research paradigms, methods, and techniques, a definition of both is best presented to help us ease into the matter.
The term ‘epistemology’, according to Johnson and Duberley (2000), remains to this day, despite its philosophical roots extending back to the times of Aristotle and Plato, still somewhat obscure. The word itself stems from two Greek words: episteme (meaning knowledge or science) and logos (meaning theory or account or knowledge). The two combined, then, form the following easily-understood meaning: the knowledge of/about knowledge (Johnson & Duberley, 2000).
This term is further clarified by Walker and Evers (1988) and Somekh and Lewin (2005) with a general definition of epistemology presented as the study of the nature and extent of knowledge and truth. 1
UGRU Journal
Volume 8, Spring 2009
Thayer-Bacon (1996) tries to widen this traditional definition of epistemology by
Volume 8, Spring 2009
Educational Research: An introduction to basic concepts and terminology
By: Hilda Freimuth Introduction One of the major deterrents to pursuing a Ph.D. for many educators is the esoteric language used in research. This paper is meant to de-mystify some of the terminology as well as present some basic ideas studied in an educational research program. Although not perfect, this paper provides an easily-understandable perspective of some educational research concepts. The hope is to dispel fears other educators may have of pursuing higher levels of research study due to the difficulty of various concepts and terminology in the field. The paper concludes that there are many ways of conducting research and many ways in which the research process itself is influenced.
Concepts of Epistemology and Ontology The first two terms often associated with educational research, epistemology and ontology, frighten even the most educated of us. Before a discussion begins on epistemology and ontology and their effects on one’s choice of research paradigms, methods, and techniques, a definition of both is best presented to help us ease into the matter.
The term ‘epistemology’, according to Johnson and Duberley (2000), remains to this day, despite its philosophical roots extending back to the times of Aristotle and Plato, still somewhat obscure. The word itself stems from two Greek words: episteme (meaning knowledge or science) and logos (meaning theory or account or knowledge). The two combined, then, form the following easily-understood meaning: the knowledge of/about knowledge (Johnson & Duberley, 2000).
This term is further clarified by Walker and Evers (1988) and Somekh and Lewin (2005) with a general definition of epistemology presented as the study of the nature and extent of knowledge and truth. 1
UGRU Journal
Volume 8, Spring 2009
Thayer-Bacon (1996) tries to widen this traditional definition of epistemology by
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