
Educational research is a more formal, focused, and intensive process of carrying out scientific analytical methods. The main objective of educational research is to focus on scientific research and provide solutions to problems in the educational field. Educational research is an activity aimed at developing organized scientific knowledge about the events that educators deal with. Educational research is the part of behavioural science that focuses on understanding, explaining, predicting, and, to some extent, controlling human behaviour. Educational research is the use of science to obtain the information needed to improve educational planning, decision-making, teaching and learning, curriculum development, understanding of children and young people, use of educational media, school organisation, and educational management. Research is an essential field not only in education but also in other fields. It is a quest for knowledge, primarily focused on improving quality. It shows how to provide solutions to problems scientifically and methodically. It is a systematic effort to acquire new knowledge in all areas. The main purpose of this article is to understand the importance of research in education. Educational research is about providing solutions to any educational problem. The main topics explored in this article include types of research, the importance of statistics in research, the importance and characteristics of educational research, steps in educational research, types of educational research, the usefulness of educational research, educational research topics, the implementation of educational research, and ethical considerations for research. The importance of educational research refers to systematic attempts to better understand the educational process, generally aimed at improving its efficiency.
This is the application of the scientific method to the study of educational issues. The characteristics of education and research are that educational research aims to solve problems in educational settings. It may attempt to answer questions or determine relationships between two or more variables. It emphasises the development of generalisations, principles, or theories that help predict future events. Educational research usually goes beyond the specifically investigated object, group, or situation to draw conclusions about the characteristics of the target population from the observed sample. Educational research is the extraction of new data from primary or direct sources or the use of existing data for new purposes. Educational research only accepts what can be verified by observation. Certain interesting questions are not amenable to research procedures. Research activities can be haphazard and unsystematic at times, but they are often characterised by carefully designed procedures that always employ rigorous analysis. It often involves trial and error, but it is seldom done blindly without keen scrutiny to see what is happening. The research strives to be objective and logical, using all possible tests to validate the procedures used, the data collected, and the conclusions drawn. Researchers try to remove personal biases. Research requires specialised knowledge. Researchers know what is already known about the problem and how others have studied it. Educational research involves the search for answers to unsolved problems. Pushing the boundaries of ignorance is their goal, and originality is often the quality of a good research project. Educational research is grounded in insight and imagination. It requires a man’s ministry to look beyond the present. Educational research requires an interdisciplinary approach. This refers to studying complex relationships with facts. Educational research is not as precise as research in the natural sciences. Educational research covers a wide range of fields. Educational psychology, educational philosophy, methodology, class organisation and management, child development, and other topics are areas of study in pedagogy. The aim is to understand and know the need for research and its importance in education. Understand different ways of doing research. Evaluate the impact of research in education. The anticipation of the potential benefits of introducing a research component into teaching Evaluate the benefits of conducting research in the educational system. As in any other field, the need and importance of research in education are essential to providing useful and authoritative knowledge that can make the educational process more effective. There are several considerations that underscore the need for research in education. Education is rooted in disciplines such as philosophy, history, economics, psychology, and sociology. A solid theory can be developed through an intensive scientific inquiry process into the philosophical, historical, economic, psychological, and sociological implications of various aspects of education. Education is considered both a science and an art.
As a science, it has a body of knowledge. Since education depends on the body of knowledge, it must be enriched and strengthened by adding scientific knowledge. Teaching as an art aims at the effective transmission of knowledge. For example, “How can teachers play an effective role inside and outside the classroom?” is an important question for educators. Careful research efforts are needed to improve teacher effectiveness. The slogan “democratising education led to the expansion of education. It has caused many problems, such as individual differences, enlargement problems, building problems, and discipline problems. Solving such problems through trial and error and experience gained from tradition and authority has often led to erroneous results. We need research-based solutions to prevent future generations from being mistaken and indeed being at the mercy of traditional sin, ignorance, and prejudice. Along with the change in the concept of education, educational research is necessary. The International Commission on the Development of Education, in its report “Learning to Be,” emphasises: ‘Education from now on can no longer be defined in relation to a fixed content that has to be assimilated but must be conceived of as a process in the human being, who thereby learns to express himself, to communicate, and to question the world through his various experiences and increasingly all the time to fulfil himself.
It has strong roots, not only in economics and sociology but also in the findings from psychological research, which indicate that man is an unfinished being and can only fulfil himself through constant learning. If this is so, then education takes place at all ages and in all situations and circumstances of existence. It returns to its true nature, which is total and lifelong, and transcends the limits of institutions, programmes, and methods imposed on it down the centuries.’ In the context of the above nature of education, the limits of educational research have to be extended from the formal and conventional modes of education to the non-formal and innovative systems based on ecological and cybernetic models. During the last two decades, great changes have taken place as a result of rapid scientific and technological developments. Education has to play an important role so that we can accept the change in a smooth way.