Cheat sheet: Methods of psychological and pedagogical research of their classification and characteristics. Classification of pedagogical research methods
Methods of psychological and pedagogical research: their classifications and characteristics
Introduction
Classifications of methods of psychological and pedagogical research
Conclusion
References
Introduction
Pedagogy is a developing science. She continues to engage in more in-depth development of all major scientific problems, as well as identifying specific scientific forecasts in the development of individual parts of the public education system and various phenomena in the field of education and upbringing.
In the practice of modern schools, psychological services face many practical tasks. These are the tasks of determining the child’s level of readiness for school, identifying especially gifted and developmentally delayed individuals, identifying the causes of school maladaptation, the task of early warning of illegal tendencies in personality development, the task of managing the classroom team, taking into account the individual characteristics of students and interpersonal relationships between them, and the task of in-depth career guidance.
Conventionally, all tasks that arise in the interaction between a teacher and a psychologist at school can be divided into psychological-pedagogical and psychological.
Quite conventionally, all typical tasks can be classified into two classes, based on the main functions of the school - the educational function and the upbringing function. In real practice, these two functions are closely intertwined.
To conduct pedagogical research, special scientific methods are used, the knowledge of which is necessary for all participants in individual and collective scientific research.
Fundamentals of the doctrine of research methods
Methodology in the narrow sense of the word is the study of methods, and although we do not reduce it to such an understanding, the study of methods plays an extremely important role in methodology. The theory of research methods is intended to reveal their essence, purpose, place in the general system of scientific research, to provide the scientific basis for the choice of methods and their combinations, to identify the conditions for their effective use, to provide recommendations for the design of optimal systems of research techniques and procedures, i.e., research methods. Methodological provisions and principles receive their effective, instrumental expression precisely in methods.
The widely used concept of “scientific research method” is a largely conditional category that combines forms of scientific thinking, general models of research procedures, and methods (techniques) of performing research activities.
It is a mistake to approach methods as an independent category. Methods are a derivative of the purpose, subject, content, and specific conditions of the study. They are largely determined by the nature of the problem, the theoretical level and the content of the hypothesis.
A system of search methods, or methodology, is a part of the research system that naturally expresses it and allows for research activities. Of course, the connections between methods in a research system are complex and diverse, and methods, being a kind of subsystem of the research complex, serve all its “nodes”. In general, the methods depend on the content of those stages of scientific research that logically precede the stages of selection and use of procedures necessary to test a hypothesis. In turn, all components of research, including methods, are determined by the content of what is being studied, although they themselves determine the possibilities of comprehending the essence of this or that content, the possibility of solving certain scientific problems.
Research methods and methodology are largely determined by the researcher’s initial concept, his general ideas about the essence and structure of what is being studied. The systematic use of methods requires the choice of a “frame of reference” and methods of their classification. In this regard, let us consider the classifications of pedagogical research methods proposed in the literature.
Classifications of methods of psychological and pedagogical research
One of the most recognized and well-known classifications of methods of psychological and pedagogical research is the classification proposed by B.G. Ananyev. He divided all methods into four groups:
organizational;
empirical;
by the method of data processing;
interpretive.
The scientist classified organizational methods as:
comparative method as a comparison of different groups by age, activity, etc.;
longitudinal - as repeated examinations of the same individuals over a long period of time;
complex - as the study of one object by representatives of different sciences.
To the empirical ones:
observational methods (observation and self-observation);
experiment (laboratory, field, natural, etc.);
psychodiagnostic method;
analysis of processes and products of activity (praxiometric methods);
modeling;
biographical method.
By data processing method
methods of mathematical and statistical data analysis and
methods of qualitative description (Sidorenko E.V., 2000; abstract).
Towards interpretive
genetic (phylo- and ontogenetic) method;
structural method (classification, typology, etc.).
Ananyev described each of the methods in detail, but with all the thoroughness of his argumentation, as V.N. notes. Druzhinin in his book “Experimental Psychology”, many unresolved problems remain: why did modeling turn out to be an empirical method? How do practical methods differ from field experiment and instrumental observation? Why is the group of interpretive methods separated from organizational ones?
It is advisable, by analogy with other sciences, to distinguish three classes of methods in educational psychology:
Empirical, in which there is an apparently real interaction between the subject and the object of research.
Theoretical, when the subject interacts with a mental model of an object (more precisely, the subject of research).
Interpretive-descriptive, in which the subject “externally” interacts with the symbolic representation of the object (graphs, tables, diagrams).
The result of the application of empirical methods is data that records the state of the object using instrument readings; reflecting the results of activities, etc.
The result of applying theoretical methods is represented by knowledge about the subject in the form of natural language, sign-symbolic or spatial-schematic.
Among the main theoretical methods of psychological and pedagogical research, V.V. Druzhinin highlighted:
deductive (axiomatic and hypothetico-deductive), otherwise - ascent from the general to the particular, from the abstract to the concrete. The result is theory, law, etc.;
inductive - generalization of facts, ascent from the particular to the general. The result is an inductive hypothesis, pattern, classification, systematization;
modeling - concretization of the method of analogies, “transduction”, inference from particular to particular, when a simpler and/or accessible for research is taken as an analogue of a more complex object. The result is a model of an object, process, state.
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Finally, interpretive-descriptive methods are the “meeting point” of the results of the application of theoretical and experimental methods and the place of their interaction. Data from empirical research, on the one hand, are subjected to primary processing and presentation in accordance with the requirements for the results from the theory, model, and inductive hypothesis that organize the study; on the other hand, the data are interpreted in terms of competing concepts to see if the hypotheses match the results.
The product of interpretation is a fact, an empirical dependence and, ultimately, justification or refutation of a hypothesis.
All research methods are proposed to be divided into pedagogical methods and methods of other sciences, into methods that state and transform, empirical and theoretical, qualitative and quantitative, particular and general, substantive and formal, methods of description, explanation and forecast.
Each of these approaches carries a special meaning, although some of them are also quite conventional. Let's take, for example, the division of methods into pedagogical and methods of other sciences, i.e. non-pedagogical. Methods classified in the first group are, strictly speaking, either general scientific methods (for example, observation, experiment) or general methods of social sciences (for example, surveys, questionnaires, assessments), well mastered by pedagogy. Non-pedagogical methods are methods of psychology, mathematics, cybernetics and other sciences used by pedagogy, but not yet so adapted by it and other sciences as to acquire the status of actually pedagogical.
The multiplicity of classifications and classification characteristics of methods should not be considered a disadvantage. This is a reflection of the multidimensionality of methods, their different quality, manifested in various connections and relationships.
Depending on the aspect of consideration and specific tasks, the researcher can use different classifications of methods. In the sets of research procedures actually used, there is a movement from description to explanation and prediction, from statement to transformation, from empirical methods to theoretical ones. When using some classifications, the trends in transition from one group of methods to another turn out to be complex and ambiguous. There is, for example, a movement from general methods (analysis of experience) to specific ones (observation, modeling, etc.), and then again to general ones, from qualitative methods to quantitative ones and from them again to qualitative ones.
There is also another classification. All the various methods used in pedagogical research can be divided into general, general scientific and special.
General scientific methods of cognition are methods that are of a general scientific nature and are used in all or a number of areas. These include experiment, mathematical methods and a number of others.
General scientific methods used by various sciences are refracted in accordance with the specifics of each given science using these methods. They are closely related to a group of specific scientific methods that are used only in a certain area and do not go beyond its boundaries, and are used in each science in various combinations. Of great importance for solving most pedagogical problems is the study of the actually developing educational process, theoretical understanding and processing of the creative findings of teachers and other practical workers, i.e. generalization and promotion of advanced experience. The most common methods used to study experience include observation, conversation, questioning, familiarization with the products of students’ activities, and educational documentation. Observation is a purposeful perception of any pedagogical phenomenon, during which the researcher receives specific factual material or data characterizing the characteristics of the course of any phenomenon. In order for the researcher’s attention not to be scattered and to be fixed primarily on the aspects of the observed phenomenon that particularly interest him, an observation program is developed in advance, objects of observation are identified, and methods for identifying certain points are provided. The conversation is used as an independent or as an additional research method in order to obtain the necessary clarifications about what was not clear enough during observation. The conversation is conducted according to a pre-planned plan, highlighting issues that require clarification. The conversation is conducted in a free form without recording the interlocutor's answers, in contrast to interviewing - a type of conversation method transferred to pedagogy from sociology. When interviewing, the researcher adheres to pre-planned questions asked in a certain sequence. The responses may be recorded openly. When surveying - a method of mass collection of material using questionnaires - answers to questions are written by those to whom the questionnaires are addressed (students, teachers, school employees, in some cases - parents). Questioning is used to obtain data that the researcher cannot obtain in any other way (for example, to identify the attitude of respondents to the pedagogical phenomenon being studied). The effectiveness of a conversation, interviewing, questioning largely depends on the content and form of the questions asked, a tactful explanation of their purpose and purpose in particular, it is recommended that the questions be feasible, unambiguous, concise, clear, objective, do not contain hidden suggestions, provoke interest and desire to respond, etc. p. An important source of obtaining factual data is the study of pedagogical documentation characterizing the educational process in a particular educational institution (grades and attendance records, personal files and medical records of students, student diaries, minutes of meetings and meetings, etc.) . These documents reflect many objective data that help establish a number of causal relationships and identify certain dependencies (for example, between health status and academic performance).
The study of written, graphic and creative works of students is a method that equips the researcher with data reflecting the individuality of each student, showing his attitude to work, the presence of certain abilities.
However, in order to judge the effectiveness of certain pedagogical influences or the value of methodological discoveries made by practitioners, and even more so in order to give any recommendations regarding the use of certain innovations in mass practice, the methods considered are not enough, since how they mainly reveal only purely external connections between individual aspects of the pedagogical phenomenon being studied. To gain a deeper insight into these connections and dependencies, a pedagogical experiment is used - a specially organized test of a particular method or method of work in order to identify its effectiveness and efficiency. In contrast to the study of actual experience using methods that record only the fact that an existing experiment always involves the creation of a new experience in which the researcher plays an active role. The main condition for the use of a pedagogical experiment in a Soviet school is to carry it out without disrupting the normal course of the educational process, when there is sufficient reason to believe that the innovation being tested can help improve the effectiveness of teaching and education, or at least will not cause undesirable consequences. This experiment is called a natural experiment. If an experiment is carried out in order to test a particular issue or if, in order to obtain the necessary data, it is necessary to ensure particularly careful observation of individual students (sometimes using special equipment), it is allowed to artificially isolate one or more students and place them in special conditions specially created by the researcher . In this case, a laboratory experiment is used, which is used quite rarely in pedagogical research.
A scientifically based assumption about the possible effectiveness of a particular experimentally tested innovation is called a scientific hypothesis.
An essential part of the experiment is observation, carried out according to a specially developed program, as well as the collection of certain data, for which tests, questionnaires, and interviews are used. Recently, technical means have increasingly begun to be used for these purposes: sound recording, filming, photographing at certain moments, surveillance using a hidden television camera. It is promising to use video recorders that make it possible to record observed phenomena and then play them back for analysis.
The most important stage in working with these methods is the analysis and scientific interpretation of the collected data, the researcher’s ability to move from specific facts to theoretical generalizations.
During theoretical analysis, the researcher thinks about the cause-and-effect relationship between the applied methods or techniques of influence and the results obtained, and also looks for reasons that explain the appearance of some unexpected unforeseen results, determines the conditions under which this or that phenomenon occurred, strives to separate the accidental from the necessary, deduces certain pedagogical patterns.
Theoretical methods can also be used in the analysis of data collected from various scientific and pedagogical sources, when comprehending the best practices studied.
In pedagogical research, mathematical methods are also used to help not only identify qualitative changes, but also establish quantitative relationships between pedagogical phenomena.
The most common mathematical methods used in pedagogy are the following.
Registration is a method of identifying the presence of a certain quality in each group member and a general count of the number of those who have or do not have this quality (for example, the number of successful and unsuccessful students who attended classes without skipping and allowed absences, etc.).
Ranking - (or the method of ranking assessment) involves arranging the collected data in a certain sequence, usually in descending or increasing order of some indicators and, accordingly, determining the place in this series of each of the studied (for example, compiling a list of students depending on the number of students admitted to test errors, number of missed classes, etc.).
Scaling as a quantitative research method makes it possible to introduce digital indicators into the assessment of individual aspects of pedagogical phenomena. For this purpose, subjects are asked questions, answering which they must indicate the degree or form of assessment selected from among the given assessments, numbered in a certain order (for example, a question about playing sports with a choice of answers: a) I am interested in, b) I do regularly, c) I don’t exercise regularly, d) I don’t do any sports).
Correlating the results obtained with the norm (for given indicators) involves identifying deviations from the norm and correlating these deviations with acceptable intervals (for example, with programmed training, 85-90% of correct answers is often considered the norm; if there are fewer correct answers, this means that the program is too difficult , if more, it means it is too light).
The determination of the average values of the obtained indicators is also used - the arithmetic mean (for example, the average number of errors for a test work identified in two classes), the median, defined as the indicator of the middle of the series (for example, if there are fifteen students in a group, this will be an assessment of the results of the eighth student in the list , in which all students are distributed according to the rank of their grades).
When analyzing and mathematically processing mass material, statistical methods are used, which include the calculation of average values, as well as the calculation of the degrees of dispersion around these values - dispersion, standard deviation, coefficient of variation, etc.
Characteristics of empirical studies
Methods of empirical research include: literature study of documents and performance results, observation, survey, assessment (method of experts or competent judges), testing. More general methods at this level include generalization of teaching experience, experimental pedagogical work, and experiment. They essentially represent complex techniques, including particular methods correlated in a certain way.
Study of literature, documents and results of activities. The study of literature serves as a method of becoming familiar with the facts, history and current state of problems, a way of creating initial ideas, the initial concept of the subject, identifying “blank spots” and ambiguities in the development of the issue.
The study of literature and documentary materials continues throughout the study. The accumulated facts encourage us to rethink and evaluate the content of the studied sources and stimulate interest in issues that have not previously received sufficient attention. A thorough documentary basis for research is an important condition for its objectivity and depth.
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Observation. A very widely used method, used both independently and as a component of more complex methods. Observation consists of the direct perception of phenomena using the senses or their indirect Perception through description by other directly observing people.
Observation is based on perception as a mental process, but this does not exhaust observation as a research method. Observation can be aimed at studying delayed learning results, at studying changes in an object over a certain time. In this case, the results of the perception of phenomena at different times are compared, analyzed, compared, and only after that the results of the observation are determined. When organizing observation, its objects must be identified in advance, goals must be set, and an observation plan must be drawn up. The object of observation is most often the process of activity of the teacher and student, the progress and results of which are judged by words, actions, deeds, and results of completing tasks. The purpose of observation determines the primary focus of attention on certain aspects of activity, on certain connections and relationships (the level and dynamics of interest in the subject, methods of mutual assistance of students in collective work, the ratio of informative and developmental functions of teaching, etc.). Planning helps to highlight the sequence of observation, the order and method of recording its results. Types of observations can be distinguished according to various criteria. Based on temporary organization. A distinction is made between continuous and discrete observation, and in scope - broad and highly specialized, aimed at identifying individual aspects of a phenomenon or individual objects (monographic observation of individual students, for example). Survey. This method is used in two main forms: in the form of an oral survey (interview) and in the form of a written survey (questionnaire). Each of these forms has its own strengths and weaknesses.
The survey reflects subjective opinions and assessments. Often, respondents guess what is required of them, and voluntarily or unwittingly tune in to the required answer. The survey method should be considered as a means of collecting primary material that is subject to cross-checking by other methods.
A survey is always based on expectations based on a certain understanding of the nature and structure of the phenomena being studied, as well as ideas about the attitudes and assessments of the respondents. The task that arises, first of all, is to identify the objective content in subjective and often discrepant answers, to identify the leading objective tendencies and reasons in them. Discrepancies in ratings. Then the problem of comparing what was expected and what was received arises and is solved, which can serve as the basis for adjusting or changing the initial ideas about the subject.
Evaluation (method of competent judges). Essentially, this is a combination of indirect observation and questioning, associated with the involvement of the most competent people in the assessment of the phenomena being studied, whose opinions, complementing and cross-checking each other, make it possible to objectively assess what is being studied. This method is very economical. Its use requires a number of conditions. First of all, this is a careful selection of experts - people who know the area being assessed, the object being studied well, and are capable of an objective and unbiased assessment.
Study and generalization of teaching experience. The scientific study and generalization of pedagogical experience serves various research purposes; identifying the existing level of functioning of the pedagogical process, bottlenecks and conflicts that arise in practice, studying the effectiveness and accessibility of scientific recommendations, identifying elements of the new, rational, born in the everyday creative search of advanced teachers. In its last function, the method of generalizing pedagogical experience appears in its most common form as a method of generalizing advanced pedagogical experience. Thus, the object of study can be mass experience (to identify leading trends), negative experience (to identify characteristic shortcomings and errors), but the study of advanced experience is of particular importance, in the process of which valuable grains of new things are identified, generalized, and become the property of science and practice. , found in mass practice: original techniques and their combinations, interesting methodological systems (techniques).
Experienced teaching experience. If we are talking about generalizing experience, then it is clear that scientific research directly follows from practice, follows it, contributing to the crystallization and growth of the new that is born in it. But such a relationship between science and practice today is not the only possible one. In many cases, science is obliged to stay ahead of practice, even advanced practice, without, however, breaking away from its needs and requirements.
The method of making deliberate changes in the educational and educational process, designed to obtain an educational effect, with their subsequent testing and evaluation is experimental work.
Didactic experiment. An experiment in science is a change or reproduction of a phenomenon for the purpose of studying it under the most favorable conditions. A characteristic feature of an experiment is planned human intervention in the phenomenon being studied, the possibility of repeated reproduction of the studied phenomena under varying conditions. This method allows us to decompose holistic pedagogical phenomena into their component elements. By changing (variing) the conditions in which these elements function, the experimenter gets the opportunity to trace the development of individual aspects and connections, and more or less accurately record the results obtained. The experiment serves to test a hypothesis, clarify individual conclusions of the theory (empirically verifiable consequences), establish and clarify facts
The real experiment is preceded by a thought experiment. By mentally playing out various options for possible experiments, the researcher selects options that are subject to testing in an actual experiment, and also receives estimated, hypothetical results with which the results obtained in an actual experiment are compared.
Characteristics of theoretical research
Due to the generalizing nature of theoretical research, all its methods have a wide field of application and are quite general in nature. These are methods of theoretical analysis and synthesis, abstraction and idealization, modeling and concretization of theoretical knowledge. Let's look at these methods.
Theoretical analysis and synthesis. At the theoretical level of research, many forms of logical thinking are very widely used, including analysis and synthesis, especially analysis, which consists of decomposing what is being studied into units, allowing one to reveal the internal structure of an object. But compared to analysis in theoretical research, synthesis plays a leading role. Based on synthesis, the subject is recreated as a subordinated system of connections and interactions, highlighting the most significant of them.
Through analysis and synthesis, it is only possible to isolate the objective content, objective trends in the subjective activity of students and teachers, to “grab” inconsistencies, to “catch” real contradictions in development. The pedagogical process, to “see” such forms and stages of the process that are designed, but do not yet really exist.
Abstraction - concretization and idealization. The processes of abstraction and concretization are closely related to analysis and synthesis.
Abstraction (abstraction) is usually understood as the process of mental abstraction of any property or feature of an object from the object itself, from its other properties. This is done in order to study the object more deeply, to isolate it from other objects and from other properties and characteristics. Abstraction is especially valuable for those sciences in which experimentation and the use of such means of knowledge as a microscope, chemical reagents, etc. are impossible.
There are two types of abstraction: generalizing and isolating. The first type of abstraction is formed by identifying common identical characteristics among many objects. Isolating abstraction does not require the presence of many objects; it can be accomplished with just one object. Here, analytically, the property we need is isolated and our attention is fixed on it. Let's say, a teacher singles out one from the whole variety of features of the educational process - accessibility of educational material - and considers it independently, determining what accessibility is, what causes it, how it is achieved, what its role is in mastering the material.
Modeling. The technique of comparison and, especially, analogy - a specific type of comparison that makes it possible to establish the similarity of phenomena - is widely used in theoretical research.
Analogy provides the basis for conclusions about the equivalence in certain respects of one object to another. Then an object that is simpler in structure and accessible to study becomes a model of a more complex object called a prototype (original). This opens up the possibility of transferring information by analogy from model to prototype. This is the essence of one of the specific methods of the theoretical level - the modeling method. In this case, it is possible to completely liberate the thinking subject from the empirical premises of the conclusion, when the conclusions themselves from model to prototype take the form of mathematical correspondences (isomorphism, homomorphism of isofunctionalism), and thinking begins to operate not with real, but with mental models, which are then embodied in the form of schematic sign models (graphs) , diagrams, formulas, etc.).
Model is an auxiliary object selected or transformed by a person for cognitive purposes, providing new information about the main object. In didactics, attempts have been made to create, at a qualitative level, a model of the educational process as a whole. Model representation of individual aspects or structures of learning is already practiced quite widely.
Modeling in theoretical research also serves the task of constructing something new that does not yet exist in practice. The researcher, having studied the characteristic features of real processes and their trends, searches for their new combinations based on the key idea, makes their mental arrangement, i.e., models the required state of the system being studied. A special type of modeling based on idealization can be considered a thought experiment. In such an experiment, a person, on the basis of theoretical knowledge about the objective world and empirical data, creates ideal objects, correlates them in a certain dynamic model, mentally simulating the movement and those situations that could take place in real experimentation.
Concretization of theoretical knowledge. The higher the degree of abstraction, removal from the empirical basis, the more responsible and complex the procedures required in order to. The results of the theoretical search took the form of knowledge ready for use in science and practice.
First of all, the task arises of “incorporating the acquired knowledge into the system of existing theoretical concepts. This knowledge can deepen, develop, clarify existing theories, clarify their insufficiency, and even “explode” them.
Concretization is a logical form, which is the opposite of abstraction. Concretization is the mental process of recreating an object from previously isolated abstractions. When concepts are specified, they are enriched with new features.
Concretization, aimed at reproducing the development of a subject as an integral system, becomes a special method of research. What is called concrete here is the unity of diversity, the combination of many properties and qualities of an object; abstract, on the contrary, is a one-sided property of it, isolated from other aspects.
The method of concretizing theoretical knowledge, which incorporates many logical techniques and operations used at all stages of research, thus allows us to translate abstract knowledge into mental-concrete and concrete-action knowledge, and gives scientific results an outlet for practice.
Ways to implement research results
The most important thing in completed pedagogical research is the implementation of its results in practice. The implementation of results is understood as a whole complex of activities implemented in a certain sequence, including informing the pedagogical community about the conclusions obtained or patterns identified that provide the basis for making any changes in practice (through the pedagogical press, in oral presentations, etc.); creation of new educational and methodological aids based on the data obtained from experimental research (for example, when restructuring education in primary school); development of methodological instructions and recommendations, etc. Moreover, if the effectiveness and efficiency of any pedagogical findings of practicing teachers is confirmed and they receive scientific understanding, interpretation and justification, propaganda of their experience is organized, the possibility of transferring it to other conditions is shown (for example, this is how the propaganda of the experience of Lipetsk teachers who improved the methodology was organized lesson organization).
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The key to the successful implementation and dissemination of the results of pedagogical research and studied and scientifically substantiated best practices is the creative collaboration of teachers and pedagogical science workers, the interest of teachers in reading scientific, pedagogical and methodological literature, the desire to personally and directly participate in experimental and experimental work, especially at that stage , when a mass testing of new educational and methodological materials is organized, which contains new ideas and reflects the results of scientific and pedagogical research.
Knowledge of the basic methods of conducting pedagogical research is necessary for every creative teacher, who must know and be able to apply these methods, both to study the experience of other teachers, and to organize testing on a scientific basis of their own pedagogical findings and discoveries used in other conditions.
In the most general form, the system of actions for studying a particular pedagogical problem can be reduced to the following:
identifying the problem, determining the origins of its occurrence, understanding its essence and manifestations in the practice of the school;
assessment of the degree of its development in pedagogical science, study of theoretical concepts and provisions related to the field of research;
formulation of a specific research problem, tasks that the researcher sets for himself, research hypotheses;
developing your proposals to solve this problem; pilot testing of their effectiveness and efficiency;
analysis of data indicating the degree of efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed innovations;
conclusions about the significance of the results of a particular study for the development of the corresponding field of pedagogical science.
Conclusion
So, we have examined the main methods of pedagogical research. How can we combine these individual methods into a well-founded research methodology, using which we can solve the assigned problems?
First of all, it is necessary to proceed from the position that the essence of the method is determined not by a set of techniques, but by their general focus, the logic of the movement of the searching thought following the objective movement of the subject, and the general concept of research. A method is, first of all, a scheme, a model of research actions and techniques, and only then a system of actually implemented actions and techniques that serve to prove and test a hypothesis in terms of a specific pedagogical concept.
The essence of the methodology is that it is a targeted system of methods that provides a fairly complete and reliable solution to the problem. This or that set of methods combined into a methodology always expresses planned ways of detecting inconsistencies and gaps in scientific knowledge, and then serves as a means of eliminating gaps and resolving identified contradictions.
Naturally, the choice of methods is largely determined by the level at which the work is carried out (empirical or theoretical), the nature of the research (methodological, applied theoretical) and the content of its final and intermediate tasks.
You can point out a number of characteristic errors when choosing methods:
a template approach to choosing a method, its conventional use without taking into account specific tasks and research conditions; universalization of individual methods or techniques, for example, questionnaires and sociometry;
ignoring or insufficient use of theoretical methods, especially idealization, ascent from the abstract to the concrete;
inability to create a holistic methodology from individual methods that optimally provides solutions to scientific research problems.
Any method in itself represents a semi-finished product, a blank that needs to be modified and specified in relation to the tasks, the subject, and specifically the conditions of the search work.
Finally, you need to think about such a combination of research methods so that they successfully complement each other, revealing the subject of research more fully and deeply, so that it is possible to double-check the results obtained by one method using another. For example, it is useful to clarify, deepen, and verify the results of preliminary observations and conversations with students by analyzing the results of tests or students’ behavior in specially created situations.
The above allows us to formulate some criteria for the correct choice of research method:
2. Compliance with modern principles of scientific research.
H. Scientific promise, i.e. a reasonable assumption that the chosen method will give new and reliable results.
4. Compliance with the logical structure (stage) of the study.
5. A more complete focus on the comprehensive and harmonious development of the personality of students is possible, because the research method in many cases becomes a method of education and upbringing, i.e., a “tool for touching the personality.”
6. Harmonic relationship with other methods in a single methodological system.
All components of the methodology and the methodology as a whole must be checked for compliance with the objectives of the study, sufficient evidence, and full compliance with the principles of pedagogical research.
References
1. Zagvyazinsky V.P. Methodology and techniques of didactic research. – M.: Pedagogy, 1982. – 147 p.
2. Pedagogy: textbook. manual for pedagogical students. in-tov/P 24 Ed. Yu.K. Babansky. – Moscow: Education, 1983. – 608 p.
Internet resources
3. student.psi911.com/lektor/pedpsi_035.htm
4. www.ido.edu.ru/psychology/pedagogical_psychology/2.html
5. (http://www.vopsy.ru/journals_all/issues/1998/985/985126.htm; see article by Borisova E.M. “Fundamentals of psychodiagnostics”).
Methods of pedagogical research– methods (techniques, operations) of studying pedagogical phenomena, obtaining new information about them in order to establish natural connections, relationships and construct scientific theories.
There are several classifications of pedagogical research methods . Depending on the basis of classification, research methods in pedagogy are divided into:
· empirical and theoretical;
· ascertaining and transformative;
· qualitative and quantitative;
· private and general;
· methods of collecting empirical data, testing and refuting hypotheses and theories;
· methods of description, explanation and forecast;
· special methods used in individual pedagogical sciences;
· methods for processing research results, etc.
Towards general scientific methods(used by different sciences) include:
· general theoretical (abstraction and concretization, analysis and synthesis, comparison, contrast, induction and deduction, i.e. logical methods);
· sociological (questioning, interviewing, expert surveys, ratings);
· socio-psychological (sociometry, testing, training);
· mathematical (ranking, scaling, indexing, correlation).
To specific scientific(specific pedagogical) methods include methods, which in turn are divided into theoretical and empirical (practical). Theoretical methods serve for interpretation, analysis and generalization of theoretical positions and empirical data. This is a theoretical analysis of literature, archival materials and documents; analysis of basic concepts and research terms; method of analogies, building hypotheses and thought experiments, forecasting, modeling, etc. Empirical methods are intended for the creation, collection and organization of empirical material - facts of pedagogical content, products of educational activities. Towards an empirical method m include, for example, observation, conversation, interviewing, questioning, methods for studying the products of students’ activities, school documentation, assessment methods (rating, pedagogical council, self-assessment, etc.), methods of measurement and control (scaling, cutting, testing, etc. . p.), as well as a pedagogical experiment and experimental verification of the research findings in a public school setting. Both theoretical and empirical methods are usually used in combination with mathematical and statistical methods, which are used to process data obtained during the study, as well as to establish quantitative relationships between the phenomena being studied. Mathematical methods are used to process data obtained by survey and experimental methods, as well as to establish quantitative relationships between the phenomena being studied. The most common mathematical methods, used in pedagogy are:
· registration – identifying the presence of a certain quality in each group member and a general count of those who have or do not have this quality (for example, the number of students actively working in class and the number of passive ones);
· ranging (rank assessment) - arrangement of the collected data in a certain sequence (in descending or ascending order of some indicators) and, accordingly, determining the place in this series of each person being studied (for example, compiling a list of the most preferred classmates);
· scaling – introduction of digital indicators in the assessment of individual aspects of pedagogical phenomena; For this purpose, subjects are asked questions, answering which they must choose one of the specified assessments (for example, in the question about engaging in any activity in their free time, select one of the assessment answers: I am interested in, I am engaged in regularly, I am engaged in irregularly, I am not engaged in anything).
Statistical methods are used when processing mass material - determining the average values of the obtained indicators: the arithmetic mean, the median - the indicator of the middle of the series, calculating the degree of dispersion around these values - dispersion, coefficient of variation, etc. Any research begins with the researcher familiarizing himself with how the scientific problem of interest to him is developed in scientific literature. To do this, he studies the works of the classics of pedagogy and related sciences, historical and pedagogical works and documents; modern works on pedagogy and related sciences related to a specific problem; periodical pedagogical press, reference pedagogical literature; textbooks and teaching aids, etc. At the same time, the researcher carries out methods of comparative historical and cause-and-effect analysis. The modeling method can also be used Simulation method – visual and figurative characteristics of the processes and phenomena being studied using diagrams, drawings, brief verbal descriptions, matrices, symbols, mathematical formulas, etc. Studying literature and the ability to work with it:
· Having determined the area of research and its problem, the scientist compiles a bibliography - a list of sources selected for study, which must be formatted correctly in accordance with bibliographic requirements.
· When working with literature, the researcher annotates – a short, concise summary of the main content of the source; citation - a verbatim recording of expressions, factual or numerical data contained in the source (the quotation must have a correctly formatted footnote).
· The main ideas of a literary source can be listed in the form of abstracts - short quotes or condensed excerpts from this source.
The following methods are also used: like note taking – a more detailed presentation of the main ideas of the source, highlighting its main provisions (summary, quotation, determination of one’s own attitude to the author’s conclusions, etc.); abstracting – a concise, but more detailed presentation of the main content of one or more sources on a general topic compared to abstracts.
Observation- organized, purposeful and recorded perception of participants in the pedagogical process or its phenomena. Purpose of observation - accumulation of facts and formation of initial ideas about a certain pedagogical phenomenon. It can be included (the observer himself is a direct participant in the process of education or training) and non-involved (indirect, observation “from the outside”). The objects of observation can be: the activities of a group of students or an individual student in the process of learning or education; relationships between students or with the teacher; children's actions in a specific situation; teacher’s activities in class, etc. Observation stages:
· defining the purpose and objectives of observation (“Why observe?”);
· selection of an object, subject of observation (“What to observe?”);
· choice of observation method (“How to observe?”);
· choice of methods for recording what is observed (“How to keep records?”
· processing and interpretation of received information (“What is the result?”).
Questionnaire- a written survey of a large number of people using questionnaires (questionnaires). Questionnaires can be open (suggest an answer to the question) closed (choose an answer from a number of suggested ones ) and mixed . When compiling questionnaires, it is important to observe the following rules: questions must be carefully composed, extremely specific, correct, accessible, they should not contain hidden clues to the desired answer, but must be mutually verifiable. Questionnaire method allows you to obtain a large amount of information in a relatively short time, which can be subjected to quantitative analysis using mathematical and statistical methods using computer technology. Quantitative data obtained through questionnaires is then complemented by qualitative analysis.
Exploratory conversation- dialogue between the researcher and the subject according to a pre-drawn plan. This is the most effective method for identifying motives of behavior , value orientations, feelings, experiences of the interviewee. Before the conversation, it is necessary to formulate specific questions to which the researcher would like to receive answers. At the same time, it is advisable not to look at the questionnaire during the conversation. To effectively use this method, it is important to establish friendly, trusting relationships with the interlocutor, show respect and tact towards him. The value of conversation as a method lies in the fact that it is always direct communication between the researcher and the person being studied. At the same time, the interlocutor can hide his true thoughts and experiences and mislead the researcher.
Interviewing- a type of conversation. This is a method more focused on finding out the assessments and position of the respondent. The interview is conducted using pre-prepared questions, the answers to which are recorded. Method for generalizing independent characteristics - a method of obtaining characteristics of the same person from different people on the same topic. Information received from various sources is processed.
Essay writing method- a group of people writes an essay on a given topic that interests the researcher. The essays are then analyzed and summarized. Pedagogical consultation method involves a collective discussion of the results of studying students according to a specific program and common characteristics, as well as the collective development of ways and means to overcome the identified shortcomings. Evaluation methods: Rating - a method of subjective assessment of a phenomenon on a given scale. These assessments are given by experts (competent judges): educational scientists, psychologists, experienced teachers, school principals and others. They evaluate certain qualities in accordance with the proposed rating scale. The data is analyzed: quantitative analysis is carried out according to a certain formula and a qualitative assessment is given. Self-esteem involves evaluation an individual of his achievements, personal qualities, actions, actions according to certain parameters. In this case, a rating scale is also established in points or other quantitative indicators. Analysis of pedagogical (school) documentation, as well as the results of various types of student activities. Thus, the study of school documentation will provide objective data on the organization of the pedagogical process at school, and the study (analysis, evaluation) of written, graphic, test, creative and other types of student work will provide information about the level of training and education of students, about the work of the teacher, will help to identify different interests of children, peculiarities of their thinking, judgments, assessments, level of development of educational skills, etc. Pedagogical testing is a research method that allows, using specially designed tasks (tasks, questionnaires), to objectively measure the studied characteristics of the pedagogical process. Projective methods is a type of testing. The subject is asked to speak about his possible actions in a given situation. The judgments are analyzed by the researcher. Pedagogical experiment – research activities carried out with the aim of studying cause-and-effect relationships in pedagogical phenomena. As part of the pedagogical experiment, a complex of theoretical and empirical methods is used. Types of experiment: According to the terms of the organization
· natural experiment (under the conditions of the usual educational process);
· laboratory (creation of artificial conditions for testing, for example, a particular teaching method, when individual students are isolated from others).
According to the final goals, a pedagogical experiment can be:
· stating , establishing only the real state of affairs in the pedagogical process;
· transformative, when a purposeful organization of an experiment is carried out to determine the conditions (methods, forms and content of education) for the development of the personality of a schoolchild or children's group;
· control, which is organized to check the degree of reliability of the results obtained during ascertaining and transformative, as well as laboratory experiments. In this case, an experiment that has already taken place is duplicated (repeated experiment) or the experimental group is replaced with a control group, and vice versa (crossover experiment);
· aerobatic (preliminary), which aims to check the level of elaboration and quality of the experimental methodology. To do this, the experiment is first carried out in a shortened version. After this, if necessary, individual parts of the experiment are corrected, and then it is carried out in full.
In accordance with the logic of scientific research, a research methodology is being developed. It is a complex of theoretical and empirical methods, the combination of which makes it possible to comprehensively study the problem under study, all its aspects and parameters with the greatest reliability. The concept of method has been used since ancient times as a synonym for the expressions “path of research”, “way of cognition”.
Methods of pedagogical research, in contrast to methodology - these are the very ways of studying pedagogical phenomena.There are several classifications of pedagogical research methods. The classification criteria are source of information, methods of processing results, level of research.
In accordance with the criterion " source of information» methods of pedagogical research are divided into 2 groups: Methods for studying theoretical sources, Methods for analyzing real teaching experience. According method of processing the results obtained distinguished: Methods of qualitative analysis, Methods of quantitative processing of results (methods of mathematical statistics). By criterion "level of research":Empirical methods. The most common method for studying teaching practice is observation method. The essence of the method lies in the deliberate, systematized and purposeful perception of a pedagogical phenomenon. There are direct, immediate and introspection. Conversation is a method of communication that allows, with the help of pre-prepared questions, to penetrate into the inner world of the interlocutor, find out the reasons for the action, and obtain information. The method is not simple, it requires spiritual sensitivity and knowledge of psychology. Questionnaire is a method of mass collection of information using questionnaires. Mathematical methods are used to process the received data and establish quantitative relationships between them. Registration– a method for identifying the presence of a qualitative characteristic in a group member. Ranging– requires the arrangement of collected data in a certain sequence. Scaling– means the introduction of digital indicators in assessing aspects of pedagogical phenomena. Statistical methods– used when processing bulk material. There are formulas and reference tables for this. Theoretical methods. Method of theoretical analysis allows you to highlight and consider individual aspects, signs and properties of pedagogical phenomena. Working with literature.Method of studying experience, documentation, products of student creativity. Helps a lot too modeling method. Experimental methods. The most important method is pedagogical experiment. Unlike methods that record existing facts, experimentation in pedagogy has a creative nature. The following stages of the experiment are distinguished: Theoretical(statement of the problem, definition of the goal, object and subject of research, its tasks and hypotheses). Methodical(development of research methodology, program, methods). The actual experiment(carrying out a series of experiments).
Analytical stage– quantitative and qualitative analysis is carried out, interpretation of the obtained facts, formulation of conclusions and practical recommendations, implementation of the results in the educational and educational process.
Thus, modern pedagogy, as a science, uses a system of methods, techniques, principles, approaches for theoretical and practical research into the problems of teaching and upbringing. Each method plays a specific role, helping to study individual problems of pedagogical phenomena. Like any science, pedagogy develops through the introduction of new research methods and improvement of established methods. Along with traditional methods, new methods borrowed from other sciences are being introduced into pedagogical research. This opens up new opportunities for the development of pedagogy.
Classification of methods of scientific and pedagogical research
A variety of research methods can be divided into four groups.
Traditional (empirical)) we will call the methods inherited by modern pedagogy from the researchers who stood at the origins of pedagogical science.
Observation– the most accessible and widespread method of studying teaching practice. Scientific observation is understood as a specially organized perception of the object, process or phenomenon under study in natural conditions. The main distinguishing features of scientific observation from everyday observation are: defining the problem, identifying the object, developing an observation scheme; mandatory recording of results; processing of received data. To increase the effectiveness of observation, it must be long-term, systematic, versatile, objective and widespread. There are several types of observation: direct and indirect; open and closed; longitudinal (longitudinal) and retrospective (turning to the past).
In the process of scientific and pedagogical research they study school documentation, characterizing the educational process.
Studying the products of students' activities– homework and classwork, essays, reports, reports, results of aesthetic and technical creativity. Individual characteristics, inclinations and interests of students, attitude to work and their responsibilities, level of development of diligence, diligence and other qualities, motives for activity - this is just a small list of educational aspects in which this method can be successfully applied.
Three well-known varieties are used in pedagogy survey methods: conversation, questioning, interviewing. Conversation– dialogue between the researcher and the subject according to a pre-developed program. The general rules for using conversation include: choosing competent respondents, justifying and communicating the motives for the study that correspond to the interests of the subjects, and formulating variations of questions. The method is close to the conversation method interview. Here the researcher, as it were, sets a topic to clarify the point of view and assessments of the subject on the issue being studied. The rules of interviewing include creating conditions conducive to the sincerity of the subjects. Questionnaire As a written survey, it is more productive, documentary, and flexible in its ability to obtain and process information. There are several types of surveys. Contact questioning is carried out when the researcher distributes, fills out and collects completed questionnaires during direct communication with the subjects. Correspondence surveys are organized through correspondent connections. Questionnaires with instructions are sent by mail and returned in the same way to the research organization. Press surveys are carried out through a questionnaire posted in the newspaper. After filling out such questionnaires by readers, the editors process the data received in accordance with the goals of the scientific or practical design of the survey.
Pedagogical experiment are considered to be the main research methods in pedagogy. In a general sense, it is defined as the experimental testing of a hypothesis. An experiment is essentially a strictly controlled pedagogical observation, with the only difference being that the experimenter observes a process that he himself expediently and systematically carries out. A pedagogical experiment requires substantiation of a working hypothesis, development of the question under study, drawing up a detailed plan for implementation, strict adherence to the intended plan, accurate recording of results, and formulation of final conclusions. The reliability of experimental conclusions directly depends on compliance with the experimental conditions. All factors other than those being tested must be carefully balanced. Depending on the purpose, they distinguish: a stating experiment, in which existing pedagogical phenomena are studied; a transformative or formative experiment, during which new pedagogical phenomena are constructed.
Theoretical methods include: theoretical analysis– identification and consideration of individual aspects, signs, features, properties of pedagogical phenomena ; literature study ; modeling – building models of pedagogical phenomena and processes and others. Theoretical research methods make it possible to clarify, expand and systematize scientific facts, explain and predict phenomena, establish relationships between various concepts and hypotheses, and identify the most significant and secondary ones among them.
TOPIC 2
METHODOLOGY AND METHODS
SCIENTIFIC AND PEDAGOGICAL RESEARCH
Methodology of pedagogy, its objectives and structure. Methods of pedagogical research, their classification. Logic of scientific and pedagogical research.
Basic concepts: methodology, methodology of pedagogy, research method, method of pedagogical research.
§ 1. Methodology of pedagogy, its tasks and structure
Under methodology science is understood as a set of initial philosophical ideas that underlie the study of natural or social phenomena and which have a decisive impact on the theoretical interpretation of these phenomena.
Methodology of pedagogy is the doctrine of pedagogical knowledge, the process of obtaining it and practical application.
Leading tasks of pedagogical methodology:
defining and clarifying the subject of pedagogy and its place among other sciences, the most important issue in pedagogical research;
establishing principles and methods for acquiring knowledge about pedagogical reality;
determining directions for the development of pedagogical theory;
identifying ways of interaction between science and practice, the main ways of introducing scientific achievements into teaching practice;
analysis of foreign pedagogical research.
The structure of the pedagogy methodology is presented in Table 1.
Table 1
Pedagogical methodology structure
§ 2. Methods of pedagogical research, their classification
Ways and methods of knowing objective reality are usually calledresearch methods .
Methods of pedagogical research name ways of studying pedagogical phenomena.
The whole variety of pedagogical research methods can be divided into three groups: methods for studying teaching experience, methods of theoretical research and mathematical methods.
The classification of pedagogical research methods is presented in Table 2.
table 2
Classification of pedagogical research methods
1. Methods for studying teaching experience– these are ways to study the actual experience of organizing the educational process.
Observation– purposeful perception of any pedagogical phenomenon, during which the researcher receives specific factual material. At the same time, observation records (protocols) are kept.
Observation stages:
determination of goals and objectives (why, for what purpose is the observation being carried out);
choice of object, subject and situation (what to observe);
choosing an observation method that has the least impact on the object under study and most ensures the collection of the necessary information (how to observe);
choosing methods for recording observation results (how to keep records);
processing and interpretation of the information received (what is the result).
A distinction is made between included observation, when the researcher becomes a member of the group in which the observation is being conducted, and non-involved observation - observation “from the outside”; open and hidden (incognito); continuous and selective.
Observation is a very accessible method, but it has its drawbacks due to the fact that the results of observation are influenced by the personal characteristics (attitudes, interests, mental states) of the researcher.
Conversation– an independent or additional research method used to obtain the necessary information or clarify what was not clear enough during observation.
The conversation takes place according to a pre-planned plan, highlighting questions that require clarification, and is conducted in free form without recording the interlocutor’s answers.
Interviewing – a type of conversation in which the researcher adheres to pre-planned questions asked in a certain sequence. During the interview, responses are recorded openly.
Questionnaire– a method of mass collection of material using a questionnaire. Those to whom the questionnaires are addressed provide written answers to the questions. Conversations and interviews are called face-to-face surveys, questionnaires are called correspondence surveys.
The effectiveness of conversations, interviews and questionnaires largely depends on the content and structure of the questions asked.
Studying students' work. Valuable material can be provided by studying the products of students' activities: written, graphic, creative and test works, drawings, blueprints, details, notebooks in individual disciplines, etc. These works can provide information about the student's personality, his attitude towards work and the level of skills achieved in a particular area.
Studying school documentation(personal files of students, medical records, class registers, student diaries, minutes of meetings) equips the researcher with some objective data characterizing the actual practice of organizing the educational process.
Pedagogicalexperiment– research activities with the aim of studying cause-and-effect relationships in pedagogical phenomena.
Research activities include:
experimental modeling of a pedagogical phenomenon and the conditions for its occurrence;
active influence of the researcher on the pedagogical phenomenon;
measuring response, results of pedagogical influence and interaction;
repeated reproducibility of pedagogical phenomena and processes.
There are 4 stages of the experiment:
theoretical – statement of the problem, definition of the goal, object and subject of research, its tasks and hypotheses;
methodological – development of research methodology and its plan, program, methods for processing the results obtained;
the experiment itself - conducting a series of experiments (creating experimental situations, observing, managing the experience and measuring the reactions of the subjects);
analytical – quantitative and qualitative analysis, interpretation of the obtained facts, formulation of conclusions and practical recommendations.
According to the conditions of the organization, a distinction is made between a natural experiment (under the conditions of a normal educational process) and a laboratory experiment (creation of artificial conditions).
According to the final goals, the experiment is divided into ascertaining, which establishes only the real state of affairs in the process, and transforming (developing), when its purposeful organization is carried out to determine the conditions (content of methods, forms) for the development of the personality of a schoolchild or children's group. A transformative experiment requires control groups for comparison.
2. Methods of theoretical research.
During theoretical analysis Usually, individual aspects, signs, features or properties of pedagogical phenomena are identified and considered. By analyzing individual facts, grouping and systematizing them, researchers identify what is common and special in them, and establish general principles or rules.
Theoretical studies use inductive And deductive methods. These are logical methods for summarizing empirically obtained data. The inductive method involves the movement of thought from particular judgments to a general conclusion, the deductive method, on the contrary, from a general judgment to a particular conclusion.
Theoretical methods are necessary to define problems, formulate hypotheses, and evaluate the collected facts. They are associated with the study of literature: the works of classics on issues of human science in general and pedagogy in particular; general and special works on pedagogy; historical and pedagogical works and documents; periodical pedagogical press; fiction about school, education, teachers; reference pedagogical literature, textbooks and teaching aids on pedagogy and related sciences.
3. Mathematical methods are used to process data obtained by survey and experimental methods, as well as to establish quantitative relationships between the phenomena being studied.
Mathematical methods help evaluate the results of an experiment, increase the reliability of conclusions, and provide grounds for theoretical generalizations. The most common mathematical methods used in pedagogy are registration, ranking, scaling.
Registration– identifying the presence of a certain quality in each group member and a general count of those who have or do not have this quality (for example, the number of students actively working in class and often passive).
Ranging– arrangement of the collected data in a certain sequence (in descending or ascending order of any indicators) and, accordingly, determining the place in this series of each person being studied.
Scaling– introduction of digital indicators in the assessment of individual aspects of pedagogical phenomena. For this purpose, subjects are asked questions, answering which they must choose one of the specified assessments.
§ 3. Logic of scientific and pedagogical research
Pedagogical research involves a number of stages: preparatory, practical solution to the problem, quantitative processing of the data obtained, their interpretation, formulation of conclusions and proposals.
On preparatory stage practical activities are analyzed in order to determine the most pressing pedagogical problem, the solution of which will lead to tangible positive results in the development, training and education of students. Preliminary materials are being collected to specify the possible causes of the selected pedagogical problem.
This work ends with the formulation of a hypothesis, i.e. assumptions about the most likely possibility of solving this problem. A research methodology is drawn up - the necessary methods and technical means are selected, the conditions for their use and methods for generalizing the data obtained are determined.
Practical solution to the problem associated with the implementation of research methodology in the form of a series of observations, surveys, and experiments.
Quantitative processing of the obtained data carried out using mathematical research methods.
Interpretation the obtained data is carried out on the basis of pedagogical theory in order to determine the reliability or fallacy of the hypothesis, which allows formulate conclusions and offers.
