Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Philosophy:
The Four Paradigms
By
Dr Ahmad Zamri Mansor
Fakulti Pendidikan
UKM, Bangi
azamri@ukm.edu.my
1
Research Philosophy
2
Research Philosophy
To examine research philosophy, we look from
the ontological, epistemological and
methodological perspectives.
But what are they? (Refer next slides)
3
Philosophical Terms and Meanings
4
5
Research Paradigms
● Positivism
● Interpretivism (also known as
constructivism)
● Pragmatism
● Critical Theories
6
7
Research Paradigms
Positivism Interpretivism Pragmatism Critical
Theories
What is Single, Multiple, The best Determined
reality? objective socially desired by history,
constructed outcome outside force
8
Research Paradigms
Positivism Interpretivism Pragmatism Critical
Theories
Ontolo There is an World and Reality is the Reality exists
objective reality, knowledge practical and has been
gy we can u/stand created by social effects of created by
it through the and contextual ideas directed social
laws by which it understanding. bias
is governed
9
Research Paradigms
10
Positivism VS Interpretivism
11
Positivist VS Interpretivist Fisherman
12
Positivism VS Interpretivism
13
Positivism VS Interpretivism
14
The Positivistic approach
Define your research topic
Literature review
Define your research question(s)
i.e. hypothesis
Collect data
Analyse data
Interpret results
1
9/9/2015 6
The ‘scientific’ method
◦ Objective observation
◦ Measurement
◦ Careful and accurate analysis of data
1
Maylor and Blackmon (2005) 9/9/2015 7
Interpretivist Philosophy
1
9/9/2015 8
Interpretivist Approach
1
9/9/2015 9
The Interpretivist approach
◦ Subjective observation
◦ Being led by the data (ie. induction)
◦ Trying to overcome biases about the situation
◦ Avoiding instruments that might influence what is
observed
2
Maylor and Blackmon (2005) 9/9/2015 0
The Interpretivist approach
Define your research topic
Literature review
Define your research question(s)
Collect data
Interpret data
9/9/2015 24
Adapted from Maylor and Blackmon (2005)
Why does the approach matter?
2
Maylor and Blackmon (2005) 9/9/2015 5
Qualitative and Quantitative Research
produce different products
quantitative numbers
2
9/9/2015 6
Qualitative and Quantitative Research use
different techniques
quantitative Impersonal
Measurement
Questionnaires
(closed)
qualitative Questionnaires
(open)
Personal
Interviews
9/9/2015 27
Qualitative and Quantitative Research have
different purposes in mind
9/9/2015 28
Qualitative Quantitative
The product textual numerical
The epistemology interpretive (empathy positivist (measuring
and understanding) and collecting facts)
Thanks
9/9/2015 30
Pragmatist Paradigm
● “To a pragmatist, the mandate of science is
not to find truth or reality, the existence of
which are perpetually in dispute, but to
facilitate human problem-solving” (Powell,
2001, p.884)
● Developed from frustration of the lack of
impact of educational research in educational
systems .
31
Pragmatist Paradigm
● Key features :
○ An intervention
33
Critical Theories Paradigm
34