THE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES IN THE EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH IN THE EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH - PURPOSES AND CIRCUMSTANCES OF A RESEARCH

Authors

  • Yousra Al-Sinani PhD, Associate Professor, Curriculum and Instructions Physical Education, College of Education, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman
  • Fatmh Al-Kaaf PhD, Assistant Professor, Curriculum and Instructions Physical Education, College of Education, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman
  • Noor Al-Najjar PhD, Assistant Professor, Curriculum and Instructions Physical Education, College of Education, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v9i2.4166

Keywords:

educational research, experimental approach, quantitative tradition

Abstract

Educational research literature seems to highlight the use of different research methods, but there appear to be three main research strategies widely used and discussed. These are experiments, surveys and case studies. This paper concentrates on the experimental approach, which could be deemed for this paper to be of the “quantitative tradition”. The three strategies differ, then in two respects: (1) in how many cases are studied and, (2) in how these are selected. Strategies may be used to investigate any particular research topic, their strengths and weaknesses will have varying significance, depending on the purposes and circumstances of the research. The overall picture that emerges is that the experimental approach is based on multiple and varied sources of evidence and it must attend to process as well as to the outcome, it is better when it is theory-driven and it leads ultimately to multiple analyses that attempt to consolidate the program effect within some reasonable range. One theme that underlies the other research strategies namely, the case study and survey method, and that illustrate the increasing awareness of the tentativeness and frailty of the experimental approach concerns the importance of human judgement in research. Evidence bearing a causal relationship emerges and it is not a trivial matter to integrate or resolve conflicts and constraints.

Author Biographies

  • Yousra Al-Sinani, PhD, Associate Professor, Curriculum and Instructions Physical Education, College of Education, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman

    Dr. Yousra Al-Sinani is an Associate Professor at the Colleges of Education at Sultan Qaboos University Sultanate of Oman. Former Dean assistant for Training and Community Serves and past head of Department of Curriculum and Instructions assistant, College of Education, Sultan Qaboos University. She was the first Omani woman to gain a Ph.D. in An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Physical Education Program for Women in Sultan Qaboos University of Oman 2007. Her work has been awarded by:  the Kluka-Love Award at the IAPESGW World Congress in South Africa, 2009; and Sultan Qaboos University Award for International Awards 2012. Yousra has made an outstanding contribution to the management of the IAPESGW 2008 International Seminar hosted by her university, which led to the ‘Accept and Respect’ Declaration. The principles of the declaration have been underpinned by much advocacy work in the field around the world. Her research contributed to the depth of understanding in terms of Islamic rules and Arabic cultures. As a result of her own written work in the field of Women Sport of Oman, Oman acknowledged her as one of the supporting committee members in women sports in the region.

  • Fatmh Al-Kaaf, PhD, Assistant Professor, Curriculum and Instructions Physical Education, College of Education, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman

    Fatma Al Kaaf has a MPhil in philosophy from Dundee University in the UK and a PhD in Education from Egypt. She has extensive experience in various areas of Arabic teaching. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Curriculum and Teaching Methods of Arabic language at the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, College of Education, Sultan Qaboos University, Sultanate of Oman. She is supervising master's and doctoral theses in curriculum and teaching methods of the Arabic language. In 2021, she has conferred the best Academic Advisor Award. Therefore, she is publishing a number of educational research in Arab and foreign refereed journals.

  • Noor Al-Najjar, PhD, Assistant Professor, Curriculum and Instructions Physical Education, College of Education, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman

    Dr. Noor Al-Najar is an Assistant Professor, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, College of Education, Sultan Qaboos University, Sultanate of Oman. She received her PhD from Dundee University in 2015. Her research interests include, but not limited to, curriculum and instruction and teaching methods.  She has supervised many Master's and doctoral students. She taught courses such as School Curriculum, Teaching Methods in Social Studies and Problem Solving in Social Studies. She presented her researches at several international and local conferences. She has also published in different Arab and international journals and reviewed.

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Published

2022-02-09

Issue

Vol. 9 No. 2 (2022)

Section

Articles

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