Thoughts on article from ‘What does good educational research look like?” by Yates, Lyn (2204) from 1st block

Some ideas after reading this article:

Perhaps we need to question what we are trying to achieve before we can decide whether the end result showcases ‘good educational research’.

A criticism of doctoral research raised in this article is that it can sometimes lead to the production of things read only by 3 people. This had been a criticism that previously I would have agreed with. Being a pragmatic type of person, I like things to have a purpose and an outcome so I had always been a bit dismissive about researching something that does not have a practical application and outcome. Find something out, then use this knowledge to make something better.

However I am now starting to question this approach, and really the whole thrust of the PhD is that you are significantly contributing to the wider body of knowledge in your field. Although the work may not have immediate practical applications, it may lead to further developments in the future – we get higher by standing on the shoulders of those who have gone before us.

But perhaps I am focusing too much on outcomes? The article points out that being forced to pursue research in a ‘pure’ way is an experience that can train and transform a potential researcher and help them develop and refine not only their research skills but also undertake a personal journey of discovery. The experience and scope and depth of the research may lead the candidate into questioning their own beliefs and assumptions not just about their topic but about the research process in general.

This tallies with some advice I received from other (further along) doctoral students. The advice was to treat the whole process as a journey of discovery, to not worry if you cannot see all the steps lined up but instead to focus on the immediate steps and to in effect take a leap of faith that eventually everything will come together.

The definition in the article of what is a PhD: ‘A PhD is a form of accreditation that certifies that the holder has proved himself or herself as a researcher and warrants admission to the community of licensed academics or competent scholarly independent researchers’.

So what is good educational research?

I think it is original and creative yet has taken into account the existing research (interesting point made in the article: the problem to be tackled should emerge naturally from the literature review). The research has been done properly. Methodology is well-thought out and applied appropriately. The research question has been addressed resulting in an original contribution to knowledge in that field.