Sciences and research paradigms

1. Bal Chandra Luitel & Roshan Thapa Sciences and research paradigms

2. Activity One • What do you mean by science? Why do we refer to science in educational research?

3. Research and Science • science as a process • science as a basis for systematic inquiry • science as a model for knowledge production • Is there a single science or a single view of science?

4. Newtonian Science: Key Features • explanatory metaphors: control, manipulation, standardization, replication • process of knowing: structured, isolated, piecemeal, mechanistic approaches

5. equilibrium as the ‘featuring assumption’ about reality • linearity – singular concept of scientific process... • reality is made up of ‘simples’ (i.e., machine-like objects)

6. Activity Two • ‘Speaking for a minute’ Activity

7. Newtonian Science: Logic • logic of reductionism: (i) make your knowledge claims declaratively, (ii) privilege scientific worldview over local worldviews, (iii) choose one of two sometime competing views • logic of dualism: (i) reality is divided into two mutually exclusive entities, (ii) select one of them on the basis of their immediate importance, (iii) privilege one entity over the other

8. Newtonian Science: Language • third-person writing style (invisible self) • language detached from the context of knowledge generation • propositional, monological, mono-vocal, ‘plain English’...

9. Newtonian Science: Quality Standards • validity – external and internal validity • reliability – consistency • objectivity – does not contradict with the existing premise, researchers’ self is invisible

10. Activity Three • Which research paradigm(s) is/are promoted by Newtonian Science? Why?

11. New Science(s) • science of emergence – complexity science • reality made up of complexes • multiple sciences: Multi-worldview sciences • dissipative structures, science beyond ‘stable equilibrium’

12. Complexity Science: Features • Emergence • Auto-generation/production • Fluid structures • Organicism

13. Emergence • Contingency (as opposed to planned) • Possibility • ‘Emergence’ in educational inquiry • An example of classroom research

14. Activity • Which educational research paradigm is likely to share the feature of emergence?

15. Auto-generation/production • Any individual or living system is capable of self-governance • A research participant is capable of forming his/ her own perspectives • This is about acknowledging creative dimension of researchers and their research participants

16. Activity • Paradigm(s) that share this feature??

17. Fluid structures/ Dynamic Systems • Social or otherwise structures are dissipative (dissolving, loosened boundaries) • Boundary may exist but it is temporary (e.g., teaching techniques, school and social system) • Examples: A researcher can also become a research participant. A teacher can also be a researcher...

18. Activity • How can a postmodern research paradigm draw from this feature of complexity science?

19. Organicism • Interdependence is the key feature of organicism, i.e. one organ depending upon many other organs of the ‘individual or social body’ • Whole is more than sum of its parts • ‘Organic thinking’ as opposed to mechanistic thinking • Example: accounting for feeling, logic, emotions of researcher and research participants

20. Activity • An example of organicwriting