An Introduction to Research - SAGE Pub（介绍研究圣人酒吧）.pdf

1 1 An Introduction to Research Why Bother? Life is complex; the world is not perfect. Many different kinds of people live on this planet, and educators and psychologists do not know the best ways to educate or counsel many people who have a history of poor achievement in school and who suffer a poor quality of life in terms of low pay, poor working conditions, high rates of unemployment, and other social and psychological disadvantages. The brief descriptions of research findings presented at the beginning of this chapter illustrate the complexity of educational and psychological challenges that confront researchers in our society, and they provide a glimpse into the role that research can play in providing insights into how to change the life experiences of those who suffer discrimination and oppression. This is not meant to imply that research in and of itself can solve all the world’s problems, nor is it meant to suggest that all research must be oriented toward social action. There are methods for designing research that make it more likely to be useful to educators, psychologists, administrators, policymakers, parents, and students. Such applied social research is the focus of this text. There are also research studies (termed basic research) that do not attempt to have immediate application in a social setting. Basic research is not the focus of this text despite its potential for contribution to social transformation. 1 2 ReseaRch and evaluation in education and Psychology What Is Research? Research is one of many different ways of knowing or understanding. It i