The Influence of Research on Educational Practice

Samenvatting

Many people think that the purpose of research isor should be to improve the lot of mankind. Not so.Either men improve man's lot or it doesn't getimproved. The misunderstanding in many people'sminds about research and its presumed ameliorativepurpose arises in part from confusing science withengineering and technology. Engineering is a set ofapplied disciplines that depend mostly on sciencebut that are themselves not science. It is the job ofthe engineer to devise technical solutions to practicalproblems. In so doing, he uses technology, whichlikewise often arises from science but is not itselfscience. Technology comprises technical methodsand materials devised to achieve practical objectives. This is quite different, of course, from thepurpose of science. 1 'Ê of psychological, sociological and other^havioral scientific phenomena of possible relel^ance to educational thinking and practice may haveeneficial though indirect efifects on educationalPractice. A corollary is that basic research is more^Portant than applied research in its potential effecteducation. And three, two major obstacles to®search influencing educational practice in the longare the pragmaticpractical notion that research^"ould pay off and that it should be relevant to'^n^temporary social and educational problems., ^o defend these propositions, I will discuss thepurpose of scientific behavioral research, thesumed validity of the payoff and relevance. tions, and how research can and perhaps doesIJJ^iuence practice. Finally, I will recommend whatas educators and as educational researchers, can^^ should do to maximize the fruitful outcome of'^■•efTForts.