Social science research

Social science research is the systematic study of human society, social relationships, and social institutions. It aims to understand and explain patterns of behavior, social interactions, and cultural phenomena. This type of research employs various methods, both qualitative and quantitative, to gather and analyze data, and has long been modeled off of the techniques of the natural sciences. However, more recently, some educational researchers have advocated for the decentering of scientific methodologies that can constrain, limit, and “box” researchers into defined categories (for more, read this review on post-qualitative research).

Self-reflexivity

Social justice scholars have argued that research is a messy and iterative process, and should allow for the blending, braiding, and weaving of multiple methodologies and methods. This requires that researchers engage in self-reflexivity. Feminist researchers have long been aware that self-reflexivity – the reflection upon and critical examination of the nature of the research process and researchers’ role in it – is important.

Researcher’s positionality

Positionality in research refers to the acknowledgment and reflection of a researcher’s own background, perspectives, and biases, and how these influence their research process. Articulating your positionality helps ensure transparency and reflexivity in the research process, aiming to produce more ethical and credible findings by recognizing and acknowledging the researcher’s influence on the study.

Intellectual Biography

It’s important for educational researchers to have a clear understanding of their personal beliefs about education, and how their lived experiences inform their teaching and research practice. Often referred to as a “positionality statement”, “intellectual biography”, or “philosophy of education” statement, these documents outline your beliefs, values, and principles related to education and serve as a foundation for your approach to teaching, learning, and educational leadership.

To create an intellectual biography, researchers must reflect on their:

• personal experiences and educational journey (formal and informal);
• preferred teaching and learning methods;
• beliefs about the role of the educator;
• understanding of inclusivity and diversity; and,
• the constraints (i.e., systemic, cultural, historical, ideological) as well as the practical applicability of their preferred methods and beliefs in their educational context.

Researchers must situate their own instructional experience in the context of education philosophies. They must describe their lived experiences in relation to their intellectual studies and the theoretical knowledge studied in their prior coursework. Who have been the key scholars in your field of study? How have their theoretical works informed your intellectual study in relation to different educational practices? What are some of the major debates taking place within your chosen field of study?

The theoretical approach

Identifying your theoretical approach is crucial because other researchers may attempt to replicate your study or to draw conclusions about another population based on the findings your share in your study. If the theoretical approach is not defined, other researchers will struggle to follow your methods, use different definitions, or misapply and construe your findings. The potential difference in references (between the researcher and the audience that subsequently reads the research) is addressed by clearly articulating your theoretical framework and the assumptions and principles that underpin it. We will discuss this further later on in the textbook.