Complex Systems Approaches to Educational Research: Introduction to the Special Issue

Abstract. In this commentary, I seek to join the ongoing conversation about evidence-informed educational practice that has been threaded through this special issue. I do so by drawing on related insights from the fields of teachers' beliefs and epistemic cognition and considering the roles of teacher education and educational research in improving (preservice) teachers' use of educational research. In particular, I focus on the merits of explicit research-based practice in teacher educators' teaching and ways that they can encourage preservice teachers' interactions with educational research in class, and methods of changing the beliefs that may underlie (preservice) teachers' engagement with educational research evidence, and finally, the need for clearly communicated research, including details of implementation.

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Complex Systems Approaches to Emergent Goal Formation in Cognitive Agents

The 2006 IEEE International Joint Conference on Neural Network Proceedings ◽

10.1109/ijcnn.2006.247199 ◽

2006 ◽

Author(s):

D. Harter

Keyword(s):

Complex Systems ◽

Cognitive Agents ◽

Systems Approaches ◽

Goal Formation

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Some reasons why evidence from educational research is not particularly popular among (pre-service) teachers: A discussion

Zeitschrift für Pädagogische Psychologie ◽

10.1024/1010-0652/a000311 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 35 (2-3) ◽

pp. 209-214

Author(s):

Frank Fischer

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Teacher Education ◽

Problem Solving ◽

Educational Research ◽

Information Sources ◽

Research Evidence ◽

Scientific Evidence ◽

Scientific Information ◽

Special Issue ◽

The Individual

Abstract. This discussion first highlights novel aspects that the individual articles contribute to the special issue on (future) teachers' choice, use, and evaluation of (non-)scientific information sources about educational topics. Among these highlights are the conceptualizations of epistemic goals and the type of pedagogical task as moderators of the selection and use of scientific evidence. The second part raises overarching questions, including the following: How inclusive do we want the concept of evidence to be? How should teachers use research evidence in their pedagogical problem-solving and decision-making? To what extent is multidisciplinary teacher education contributing to epistemological confusion, possibly leading to (pre-service) teachers' low appreciation of educational research?

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Transformative Educational Research: Fleshing Out the Concepts

Journal of Education and Research ◽

10.3126/jer.v7i1.21236 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Bal Chandra Luitel ◽

Shree Krishna Wagley

Keyword(s):

Educational Research ◽

Paradigm Shift ◽

Research Approach ◽

Multidimensional Approach ◽

Special Issue ◽

Transformative Research ◽

Emerging Leaders ◽

Future Directions ◽

Knowledge Practice ◽

The Given

In reference to this special issue, the idea of transformative educational research (TER) brings into light the integrated meanings on ‘the what’, ‘the why’, ‘the how’, ‘the who’, and ‘what next’ of transformative research approach in education, bringing together the ideas shared in the conference, and existing theoretical referents in this area of knowledge/practice. This concept note, thus, primarily seeks to define transformative research approach in education, taking into consideration what an associated research and practitioner agenda might look like. So as to achieve this purpose, this paper frames TRE practices so far, and creates space to think on future directions for education, and educational research through different sub-headings: (1) TER as multidimensional approach, (2) TER as a response to paradigm shift, (3) TRE as arts-based multi-paradigmatic space, (4) TER for emerging leaders at various spheres of life-world, and (5) TER as imagining the world beyond the given.

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