Classification of pedagogical research methods. Classification of pedagogical research methods

Methods of pedagogical research– methods (techniques, operations) of studying pedagogical phenomena, obtaining new information about them in order to establish natural connections, relationships and construct scientific theories.

There are several classifications of pedagogical research methods . Depending on the basis of classification, research methods in pedagogy are divided into:

· empirical and theoretical;

· ascertaining and transformative;

· qualitative and quantitative;

· private and general;

· methods of collecting empirical data, testing and refuting hypotheses and theories;

· methods of description, explanation and forecast;

· special methods used in individual pedagogical sciences;

· methods for processing research results, etc.

Towards general scientific methods(used by different sciences) include:

· general theoretical (abstraction and concretization, analysis and synthesis, comparison, contrast, induction and deduction, i.e. logical methods);

· sociological (questioning, interviewing, expert surveys, ratings);

· socio-psychological (sociometry, testing, training);

· mathematical (ranking, scaling, indexing, correlation).

To specific scientific(specific pedagogical) methods include methods, which in turn are divided into theoretical and empirical (practical). Theoretical methods serve for interpretation, analysis and generalization of theoretical positions and empirical data. This is a theoretical analysis of literature, archival materials and documents; analysis of basic concepts and research terms; method of analogies, building hypotheses and thought experiments, forecasting, modeling, etc. Empirical methods are intended for the creation, collection and organization of empirical material - facts of pedagogical content, products of educational activities. Towards an empirical method m include, for example, observation, conversation, interviewing, questioning, methods for studying the products of students’ activities, school documentation, assessment methods (rating, pedagogical council, self-assessment, etc.), methods of measurement and control (scaling, cutting, testing, etc. . p.), as well as a pedagogical experiment and experimental verification of the research findings in a public school setting. Both theoretical and empirical methods are usually used in combination with mathematical and statistical methods, which are used to process data obtained during the study, as well as to establish quantitative relationships between the phenomena being studied. Mathematical methods are used to process data obtained by survey and experimental methods, as well as to establish quantitative relationships between the phenomena being studied. The most common mathematical methods, used in pedagogy are:

· registration – identifying the presence of a certain quality in each group member and a general count of those who have or do not have this quality (for example, the number of students actively working in class and the number of passive ones);

· ranging (rank assessment) - arrangement of the collected data in a certain sequence (in descending or ascending order of some indicators) and, accordingly, determining the place in this series of each person being studied (for example, compiling a list of the most preferred classmates);

· scaling – introduction of digital indicators in the assessment of individual aspects of pedagogical phenomena; For this purpose, subjects are asked questions, answering which they must choose one of the specified assessments (for example, in the question about engaging in any activity in their free time, select one of the assessment answers: I am interested in, I am engaged in regularly, I am engaged in irregularly, I am not engaged in anything).

Statistical methods are used when processing mass material - determining the average values ​​of the obtained indicators: the arithmetic mean, the median - the indicator of the middle of the series, calculating the degree of dispersion around these values ​​- dispersion, coefficient of variation, etc. Any research begins with the researcher familiarizing himself with how the scientific problem of interest to him is developed in scientific literature. To do this, he studies the works of the classics of pedagogy and related sciences, historical and pedagogical works and documents; modern works on pedagogy and related sciences related to a specific problem; periodical pedagogical press, reference pedagogical literature; textbooks and teaching aids, etc. At the same time, the researcher carries out methods of comparative historical and cause-and-effect analysis. The modeling method can also be used Simulation method – visual and figurative characteristics of the processes and phenomena being studied using diagrams, drawings, brief verbal descriptions, matrices, symbols, mathematical formulas, etc. Studying literature and the ability to work with it:

· Having determined the area of ​​research and its problem, the scientist compiles a bibliography - a list of sources selected for study, which must be formatted correctly in accordance with bibliographic requirements.

· When working with literature, the researcher annotates – a short, concise summary of the main content of the source; citation - a verbatim recording of expressions, factual or numerical data contained in the source (the quotation must have a correctly formatted footnote).

· The main ideas of a literary source can be listed in the form of abstracts - short quotes or condensed excerpts from this source.

The following methods are also used: like note taking – a more detailed presentation of the main ideas of the source, highlighting its main provisions (summary, quotation, determination of one’s own attitude to the author’s conclusions, etc.); abstracting – a concise, but more detailed presentation of the main content of one or more sources on a general topic compared to abstracts.

Observation- organized, purposeful and recorded perception of participants in the pedagogical process or its phenomena. Purpose of observation - accumulation of facts and formation of initial ideas about a certain pedagogical phenomenon. It can be included (the observer himself is a direct participant in the process of education or training) and non-involved (indirect, observation “from the outside”). The objects of observation can be: the activities of a group of students or an individual student in the process of learning or education; relationships between students or with the teacher; children's actions in a specific situation; teacher’s activities in class, etc. Observation stages:

· defining the purpose and objectives of observation (“Why observe?”);

· selection of an object, subject of observation (“What to observe?”);

· choice of observation method (“How to observe?”);

· choice of methods for recording what is observed (“How to keep records?”

· processing and interpretation of received information (“What is the result?”).

Questionnaire- a written survey of a large number of people using questionnaires (questionnaires). Questionnaires can be open (suggest an answer to the question) closed (choose an answer from a number of suggested ones ) and mixed . When compiling questionnaires, it is important to observe the following rules: questions must be carefully composed, extremely specific, correct, accessible, they should not contain hidden clues to the desired answer, but must be mutually verifiable. Questionnaire method allows you to obtain a large amount of information in a relatively short time, which can be subjected to quantitative analysis using mathematical and statistical methods using computer technology. Quantitative data obtained through questionnaires is then complemented by qualitative analysis.

Exploratory conversation- dialogue between the researcher and the subject according to a pre-drawn plan. This is the most effective method for identifying motives of behavior , value orientations, feelings, experiences of the interviewee. Before the conversation, it is necessary to formulate specific questions to which the researcher would like to receive answers. At the same time, it is advisable not to look at the questionnaire during the conversation. To effectively use this method, it is important to establish friendly, trusting relationships with the interlocutor, show respect and tact towards him. The value of conversation as a method lies in the fact that it is always direct communication between the researcher and the person being studied. At the same time, the interlocutor can hide his true thoughts and experiences and mislead the researcher.

Interviewing- a type of conversation. This is a method more focused on finding out the assessments and position of the respondent. The interview is conducted using pre-prepared questions, the answers to which are recorded. Method for generalizing independent characteristics - a method of obtaining characteristics of the same person from different people on the same topic. Information received from various sources is processed.

Essay writing method- a group of people writes an essay on a given topic that interests the researcher. The essays are then analyzed and summarized. Pedagogical consultation method involves a collective discussion of the results of studying students according to a specific program and common characteristics, as well as the collective development of ways and means to overcome the identified shortcomings. Evaluation methods: Rating - a method of subjective assessment of a phenomenon on a given scale. These assessments are given by experts (competent judges): educational scientists, psychologists, experienced teachers, school principals and others. They evaluate certain qualities in accordance with the proposed rating scale. The data is analyzed: quantitative analysis is carried out according to a certain formula and a qualitative assessment is given. Self-esteem involves evaluation an individual of his achievements, personal qualities, actions, actions according to certain parameters. In this case, a rating scale is also established in points or other quantitative indicators. Analysis of pedagogical (school) documentation, as well as the results of various types of student activities. Thus, the study of school documentation will provide objective data on the organization of the pedagogical process at school, and the study (analysis, evaluation) of written, graphic, test, creative and other types of student work will provide information about the level of training and education of students, about the work of the teacher, will help to identify different interests of children, peculiarities of their thinking, judgments, assessments, level of development of educational skills, etc. Pedagogical testing is a research method that allows, using specially designed tasks (tasks, questionnaires), to objectively measure the studied characteristics of the pedagogical process. Projective methods is a type of testing. The subject is asked to speak about his possible actions in a given situation. The judgments are analyzed by the researcher. Pedagogical experiment – research activities carried out with the aim of studying cause-and-effect relationships in pedagogical phenomena. As part of the pedagogical experiment, a complex of theoretical and empirical methods is used. Types of experiment: According to the terms of the organization

· natural experiment (under the conditions of the usual educational process);

· laboratory (creation of artificial conditions for testing, for example, a particular teaching method, when individual students are isolated from others).

According to the final goals, a pedagogical experiment can be:

· stating , establishing only the real state of affairs in the pedagogical process;

· transformative, when a purposeful organization of an experiment is carried out to determine the conditions (methods, forms and content of education) for the development of the personality of a schoolchild or children's group;

· control, which is organized to check the degree of reliability of the results obtained during ascertaining and transformative, as well as laboratory experiments. In this case, an experiment that has already taken place is duplicated (repeated experiment) or the experimental group is replaced with a control group, and vice versa (crossover experiment);

· aerobatic (preliminary), which aims to check the level of elaboration and quality of the experimental methodology. To do this, the experiment is first carried out in a shortened version. After this, if necessary, individual parts of the experiment are corrected, and then it is carried out in full.

In accordance with the logic of scientific research, a research methodology is being developed. It is a complex of theoretical and empirical methods, the combination of which makes it possible to comprehensively study the problem under study, all its aspects and parameters with the greatest reliability. The concept of method has been used since ancient times as a synonym for the expressions “path of research”, “way of cognition”.

Methods of pedagogical research, in contrast to methodology - these are the very ways of studying pedagogical phenomena.There are several classifications of pedagogical research methods. The classification criteria are source of information, methods of processing results, level of research.

In accordance with the criterion " source of information» methods of pedagogical research are divided into 2 groups: Methods for studying theoretical sources, Methods for analyzing real teaching experience. According method of processing the results obtained distinguished: Methods of qualitative analysis, Methods of quantitative processing of results (methods of mathematical statistics). By criterion "level of research":Empirical methods. The most common method for studying teaching practice is observation method. The essence of the method lies in the deliberate, systematized and purposeful perception of a pedagogical phenomenon. There are direct, immediate and introspection. Conversation is a method of communication that allows, with the help of pre-prepared questions, to penetrate into the inner world of the interlocutor, find out the reasons for the action, and obtain information. The method is not simple, it requires spiritual sensitivity and knowledge of psychology. Questionnaire is a method of mass collection of information using questionnaires. Mathematical methods are used to process the received data and establish quantitative relationships between them. Registration– a method for identifying the presence of a qualitative characteristic in a group member. Ranging– requires the arrangement of collected data in a certain sequence. Scaling– means the introduction of digital indicators in assessing aspects of pedagogical phenomena. Statistical methods– used when processing bulk material. There are formulas and reference tables for this. Theoretical methods. Method of theoretical analysis allows you to highlight and consider individual aspects, signs and properties of pedagogical phenomena. Working with literature.Method of studying experience, documentation, products of student creativity. Helps a lot too modeling method. Experimental methods. The most important method is pedagogical experiment. Unlike methods that record existing facts, experimentation in pedagogy has a creative nature. The following stages of the experiment are distinguished: Theoretical(statement of the problem, definition of the goal, object and subject of research, its tasks and hypotheses). Methodical(development of research methodology, program, methods). The actual experiment(carrying out a series of experiments).

Analytical stage– quantitative and qualitative analysis is carried out, interpretation of the obtained facts, formulation of conclusions and practical recommendations, implementation of the results in the educational and educational process.

Thus, modern pedagogy, as a science, uses a system of methods, techniques, principles, approaches for theoretical and practical research into the problems of teaching and upbringing. Each method plays a specific role, helping to study individual problems of pedagogical phenomena. Like any science, pedagogy develops through the introduction of new research methods and improvement of established methods. Along with traditional methods, new methods borrowed from other sciences are being introduced into pedagogical research. This opens up new opportunities for the development of pedagogy.

General methodological and philosophical principles of scientific knowledge influence the methods of specific scientific knowledge, therefore the scientific method must be chosen according to the field in which the scientific search takes place. That is, depending on the degree of complexity of the study, the methods for solving it, types of experiments, techniques and means also change.

Classification is the distribution of objects, phenomena and concepts into classes, groups, departments, categories depending on general characteristics.

There are various classifications of pedagogical research methods.

Methods of scientific research can be divided into general logical and scientific, which in turn are differentiated into empirical and theoretical.

General logical methods include:

Analysis(Greek - decomposition) - a research method, the essence of which is that the subject of study is mentally or practically divided into its component elements (parts of the object or its characteristics, properties, relationships, and each part is studied separately).

Synthesis(Greek - connection) - this research method allows you to connect elements (parts) of an object dissected in the process of analysis, establish connections between them and understand the objects of research as a single whole.

When studying a specific object of study, as a rule, analysis and synthesis are used simultaneously, since they are interrelated.

Induction(Latin - guidance) is a method of cognition in which general principles and laws are derived from particular factors and phenomena. This is an inference from facts to some hypothesis (general statement). In such an inference, a general conclusion about the characteristics of a set of elements is made on the basis of studying part of the elements of this set. In this case, the facts under study are selected according to a pre-developed plan.

There is a distinction between complete and incomplete induction:

Full induction– a generalization relates to a finitely observable area of ​​facts and the conclusion made exhaustively examines the phenomenon being studied.

Incomplete induction– a generalization refers to an infinite or finitely vast area of ​​facts, and the conclusion made in this case allows one to form only an indicative, preliminary opinion about the object being studied. This opinion may be unreliable. When using the incomplete induction method, errors may occur, the causes of which are:

Hasty generalization;

Generalization without sufficient basis based on secondary or random characteristics;

Substituting a causal relationship with an ordinary sequence in time;

Unreasonable extension of the obtained conclusion beyond the specific conditions in which it was obtained, i.e. replacing the conditional with the unconditional.

Deduction(Latin – deduction) is a method of cognition in which particular provisions are derived from general ones. Through deduction, a conclusion about an individual element of a certain aggregate is made on the basis of knowledge about the characteristics of the entire aggregate, i.e. it is a method of transition from general ideas to particular ones.

Despite their opposites, induction and deduction in the process of scientific knowledge are always used together, representing different aspects of a single dialectical method of knowledge - from inductive generalization to deductive conclusion, to verification of conclusion and deeper generalization - and so on ad infinitum.

Analogy(Greek – correspondence, similarity) is a method of scientific knowledge, with the help of which knowledge about some objects or phenomena is achieved on the basis of their similarity with others. Inference by analogy is when knowledge about an object is transferred to another less studied object, but similar to the first in essential properties and qualities. Such inferences are one of the main sources of scientific hypotheses. Thanks to its clarity, the method of analogies has become widespread in science.

The method of analogies is the basis of another method of scientific knowledge – modeling.

Modeling(Latin – measure, sample) is a method of scientific knowledge that consists in replacing the object being studied with its specially created analogue or model, by which the characteristics of the original are determined or clarified. In this case, the model must contain the essential features of the real object.

Modeling is one of the main categories of cognition; almost any method of scientific research is based on its idea, both theoretical, which uses various abstract (ideal) models, and experimental, which uses subject (material) models. Abstract models include mental, logical, imaginary (logical-mathematical) and mathematical models. The latter are described by equations identical to the original. Material models include physical, material or operating models. They retain the physical nature of the original.

The modeling method is based on meaningful knowledge of the object of study and provides for the solution of such important issues as the relationship between the model and the object of study, the degree of similarity of the model to the original, and the legitimacy of transferring the information obtained during the study of the model to the object.

Modern science knows several types of modeling:

1) subject modeling, in which research is carried out on a model that reproduces certain geometric, physical, dynamic or functional characteristics of the original object;

2) symbolic modeling, in which diagrams, drawings, and formulas act as models. The most important type of such modeling is mathematical modeling, produced by means of mathematics and logic;

3) mental modeling, in which, instead of sign models, mental visual representations of these signs and operations with them are used.

Astragation- this is a mental distraction from certain aspects, properties or connections of the object of knowledge. Scientific abstraction is a distraction in the process of cognition from the private and insignificant aspects of the phenomenon under consideration in order to focus on its general, basic, essential features. By highlighting the essential, scientific abstraction helps to deepen knowledge. At the same time, it is necessary to know the boundaries of abstraction, i.e. abstraction in the study must be theoretically justified.

The following methods are typical for the empirical level of research:

- observation– perception of objective reality, giving knowledge about the external aspects, properties and relationships of the objects being studied;

- description– consolidation and transmission of observation results using certain sign means;

- measurement– comparison of objects according to any properties or aspects;

- comparison- simultaneous comparative study of the process of properties or characteristics common to two or more objects;

- experiment– observation of specially created and controlled conditions.

Observation- purposeful study of objects, based mainly on data from the senses (sensations, perceptions, ideas). In the course of observation, we gain knowledge not only about the external aspects of the object of knowledge, but - as the ultimate goal - about its essential properties and relationships.

Observation can be direct or indirect with various instruments and technical devices (microscope, telescope, photo and film camera, etc.). With the development of science, observation becomes more complex and indirect.

Basic requirements for scientific observation:

unambiguity of the plan; the presence of a system of methods and techniques;

objectivity, i.e. the possibility of control through either repeated observation or using other methods (for example, experiment). Observation is usually included as part of the experimental procedure. An important aspect of observation is the interpretation of its results, interpretation of instrument readings, the curve on an oscilloscope, on an electrocardiogram, etc.

The cognitive result of observation is description - recording, using natural and artificial language, initial information about the object being studied: diagrams, graphs, diagrams, tables, drawings, etc. Observation is closely related to measurement, which is the process of finding the ratio of a given quantity to another homogeneous quantity, taken as a unit of measurement. The measurement result is expressed as a number.

Experiment– active and purposeful intervention in the course of the process being studied, a corresponding change in the object or its reproduction in specially created and controlled conditions.

In an experiment, an object is either reproduced artificially or placed in certain predetermined conditions that meet the goals of the study. During the experiment, the object being studied is isolated from the influence of secondary circumstances and is presented in its “pure form”. In this case, specific experimental conditions are not only set, but also controlled, modernized, and reproduced many times.

Main features of the experiment:

a) a more active (than during observation) attitude towards the object, up to its change and transformation, b) repeated reproducibility of the studied object at the request of the researcher, c) the ability to detect such properties of phenomena that are not observed in natural conditions; d) the possibility of considering a phenomenon in its “pure form” by isolating it from circumstances that complicate and mask its course or by changing, varying the experimental conditions, e) the possibility of monitoring the “behavior” of the object of study and checking the results. The main stages of the experiment: planning and construction (its purpose, type, means, methods of implementation, etc.); control; interpretation of results. An experiment has two interrelated functions: experimental testing of hypotheses and theories, as well as the formation of new scientific concepts. Depending on these functions, experiments are distinguished: research (search), testing (control), reproducing, isolating, etc. Based on the nature of the objects, physical, chemical, biological, and social experiments are distinguished. Of great importance in modern science is the decisive experiment, the purpose of which is to refute one and confirm the other of two (or several) competing concepts. Experimental pedagogical work. If we are talking about generalizing experience, then it is clear that scientific research directly follows from practice, follows it, contributing to the crystallization and growth of the new that is born in it. But such a relationship between science and practice today is not the only possible one.

In many cases, science is obliged to stay ahead of practice, even advanced practice, without, however, breaking away from its needs and requirements.

The method of making deliberate changes in the educational and educational process, designed to obtain an educational effect, with their subsequent testing and evaluation is experimental work.

Didactic experiment. An experiment in science is the change or reproduction of a phenomenon in order to study it under the most favorable conditions. A characteristic feature of an experiment is planned human intervention in the phenomenon being studied, the possibility of repeated reproduction of the phenomena under study under varying conditions. This method allows us to decompose holistic pedagogical phenomena into their component elements. By changing (variing) the conditions in which these elements function, the experimenter gets the opportunity to trace the development of individual aspects and connections, and more or less accurately record the results obtained. The experiment serves to test a hypothesis, clarify individual conclusions of the theory (empirically verifiable consequences), establish and clarify facts

The real experiment is preceded by a thought experiment. By mentally playing out various options for possible experiments, the researcher selects options that are subject to testing in an actual experiment, and also receives estimated, hypothetical results with which the results obtained in an actual experiment are compared.

Stages carrying out experimental work:

- diagnostic stage(stating). Identification of the real state of the object under study. At the diagnostic stage, it is necessary to select optimal diagnostic tools, a set of various methods and techniques;

- formative stage experiment, proposes the formation of a new quality, realized by the researcher himself, as a result of practical testing, elements of the author's model, technology of content, forms of methods of educational activity. This stage correlates with the research hypothesis; at this stage it is necessary to present the step-by-step implementation of the conditions outlined in the hypothesis.

- control (final) stage an experiment in which the results of experimental experimental work are presented.

At this stage, a comparative analysis is presented at the beginning and end of the experiment. The positive dynamics of quantitative indicators according to certain criteria allows us to judge qualitative changes within the framework of the experiment.

Comparison- a cognitive operation underlying judgments about the similarity or difference of objects. Using comparison, the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of objects are revealed. To compare is to compare one thing with another in order to identify their relationship. The simplest and most important type of relationship revealed through comparison is the relationship of identity and difference. This is the method by which, through comparison, the general and special in psychological and pedagogical phenomena are revealed, knowledge of the various stages of development of the same phenomenon or different coexisting ones is achieved. This method allows us to identify and compare levels in the development of the phenomenon under study, the changes that have occurred, and determine development trends.

Measurement- a process consisting in determining the quantitative values ​​of certain properties, aspects of the studied object, phenomenon with the help of special technical devices. An important aspect of the measurement process is the methodology for carrying it out. It is a set of techniques that use certain principles and means of measurement. In this case, the principles of measurements mean such phenomena that form the basis of measurements.

There are several types of measurements. Based on the nature of the dependence of the measured value on time, measurements are divided into statistical and dynamic. In statistical measurements, the value we measure remains constant over time (measurement of body sizes, constant pressure, etc.) Dynamic measurements include those measurements during which the measured value changes over time (measurement of vibration, pulsating pressure, etc. .).

Well-developed instrumentation, a variety of methods and high characteristics of measuring instruments contribute to progress in scientific research.

The theoretical level of scientific knowledge is characterized the predominance of the rational moment - concepts, theories, laws and other forms of “mental operations”. The lack of direct practical interaction with objects determines the peculiarity that an object at a given level of scientific knowledge can only be studied indirectly, in a thought experiment, but not in a real one. At this level, the most profound essential aspects, connections, patterns inherent in the objects and phenomena being studied are revealed by processing the data of empirical knowledge.

This processing is carried out using systems of “higher order” abstractions - such as concepts, inferences, laws, categories, principles, etc.

Scientific methods of theoretical research.

The theoretical level of scientific knowledge includes such methods as:

Formalization- construction of abstract mathematical models that reveal the essence of the processes of reality being studied.

Axiomatic - building a theory based on axioms.

Hypothetico-deductive- creation of a system of deductively interconnected hypotheses from which statements are derived.

Ascent from abstract to concrete- displaying the essence of the object being studied in its entirety by finding the main connection, its changes, discovering new connections and establishing their interaction.

Systematization- arrangement of thoughts, objects and phenomena in a certain order (according to target characteristics, scale, combination of properties).

Structural-functional analysis- study of the functioning of each element of the structure, the relationship between general and particular functions of various organs or phenomena.

Formalization- display of content knowledge in step-by-step symbolic form. Formalization is based on the distinction between natural and artificial languages. Expressing thinking in natural language can be considered the first step of formalization. Natural languages ​​as a means of communication are characterized by polysemy, versatility, flexibility, imprecision, figurativeness, etc. It is an open, continuously changing system, constantly acquiring new meanings and meanings. Further deepening of formalization is associated with the construction of artificial (formalized) languages ​​designed for a more accurate and rigorous expression of knowledge than natural language, in order to eliminate the possibility of ambiguous understanding - which is typical for natural language (the language of mathematics, logic, etc.). The symbolic languages ​​of mathematics and other exact sciences pursue not only the goal of reducing notation; this can be done using shorthand. The language of artificial language formulas becomes a tool of cognition. It plays the same role in theoretical knowledge as the microscope and telescope in empirical knowledge. It is the use of special symbols that makes it possible to eliminate the ambiguity of words in ordinary language. In formalized reasoning, each symbol is strictly unambiguous.

As a universal means of communication and exchange of thoughts and information, language performs many functions. The main thing in the formalization process is that operations can be performed on the formulas of artificial languages, and new formulas and relationships can be obtained from them. Thus, operations with thoughts about objects are replaced by actions with signs and symbols. Formalization in this sense is a logical method of clarifying the content of a thought by clarifying its logical form. But it has nothing to do with the absolutization of logical form in relation to content. Formalization, therefore, is a generalization of the forms of processes that differ in content, and the abstraction of these forms from their content. It clarifies the content by identifying its form and can be carried out with varying degrees of completeness.

Axiomatic method- one of the ways of deductively constructing scientific theories, in which: a) a system of basic terms of science is formulated (for example, in Euclid’s geometry these are the concepts of point, straight line, angle, plane, etc.); b) from these terms a certain set of axioms (postulates) is formed - provisions that do not require proof and are the initial ones, from which all other statements of this theory are derived according to certain rules (for example, in Euclid’s geometry: “only one straight line can be drawn through two points” ; "the whole is greater than the part"); c) a system of inference rules is formulated, which allows one to transform initial provisions and move from one position to another, as well as introduce new terms (concepts) into the theory; d) the transformation of postulates is carried out according to rules that make it possible to obtain from a limited number of axioms a set of provable provisions - theorems. Thus, to derive theorems from axioms (and in general some formulas from others), special rules of inference are formulated.

The axiomatic method is only one of the methods for constructing scientific knowledge. It has limited application, since it requires a high level of development of an axiomatized substantive theory.

One of the most recognized and well-known classifications of pedagogical research methods is the classification proposed by B.G. Ananyev. He divided all methods into four groups:

organizational;

empirical;

by the method of data processing;

interpretive.

TO organizational methods the scientist attributed:

comparative method as a comparison of different groups by age, activity, etc.;

longitudinal - as repeated examinations of the same individuals over a long period of time;

complex - as the study of one object by representatives of different sciences.

TO empirical:

observational methods (observation and self-observation);

experiment (laboratory, field, natural, etc.);

psychodiagnostic method;

analysis of processes and products of activity (praxiometric methods);

modeling;

biographical method.

By data processing method:

methods of mathematical and statistical data analysis and

methods of qualitative description.

To the interpretative ones:

genetic (phylo- and ontogenetic) method;

structural method (classification, typology, etc.)

Ananyev described each of the methods in detail, but with all the thoroughness of his argumentation, as V.N. notes. Druzhinin, in his book "Experimental Psychology", many unresolved problems remain: why did modeling turn out to be an empirical method? How do practical methods differ from field experiment and instrumental observation? Why is the group of interpretive methods separated from organizational ones?

It is advisable, by analogy with other sciences, to distinguish three classes of methods in educational psychology:

Empirical, in which externally real interaction between the subject and object of research takes place.

Theoretical, when the subject interacts with a mental model of an object (more precisely, the subject of research).

Among the main theoretical methods of pedagogical research, V.V. Druzhinin highlighted:

- deductive(axiomatic and hypothetico-deductive), otherwise - an ascent from the general to the particular, from the abstract to the concrete. The result is theory, law, etc.;

- inductive- generalization of facts, ascent from the particular to the general.

The result is an inductive hypothesis, pattern, classification, systematization; modeling - concretization of the method of analogies, “transduction”, inference from particular to particular, when a simpler and/or accessible for research is taken as an analogue of a more complex object. The result is a model of an object, process, state.

Interpretive-descriptive, in which the subject “externally” interacts with the sign-symbolic representation of the object (graphs, tables, diagrams).

Finally, interpretive-descriptive methods are the “meeting point” of the results of the application of theoretical and experimental methods and the place of their interaction. Data from empirical research, on the one hand, are subjected to primary processing and presentation in accordance with the requirements for the results from the theory, model, and inductive hypothesis that organize the study; on the other hand, the data are interpreted in terms of competing concepts to see if the hypotheses match the results.

The product of interpretation is a fact, an empirical dependence and, ultimately, justification or refutation of a hypothesis.

All research methods are proposed to be divided into pedagogical and psychological. Methods of other sciences can also be distinguished: ascertaining and transformative, empirical and theoretical, qualitative and quantitative, particular and general, substantive and formal, methods of description, explanation and forecast.

Each of these approaches carries a special meaning, although some of them are also quite conventional. Let's take, for example, the division of methods into pedagogical and methods of other sciences, i.e. non-pedagogical. Methods classified in the first group are, strictly speaking, either general scientific methods (for example, observation, experiment) or general methods of social sciences (for example, surveys, questionnaires, assessments), well mastered by pedagogy. Non-pedagogical methods are methods of psychology, mathematics, cybernetics and other sciences used by pedagogy, but not yet so adapted by it and other sciences as to acquire the status of actually pedagogical.

The multiplicity of classifications and classification characteristics of methods should not be considered a disadvantage. This is a reflection of the multidimensionality of methods, their different quality, manifested in various connections and relationships.

Depending on the aspect of consideration and specific tasks, the researcher can use different classifications of methods. In the sets of research procedures actually used, there is a movement from description to explanation and prediction, from statement to transformation, from empirical methods to theoretical ones. When using some classifications, the trends in transition from one group of methods to another turn out to be complex and ambiguous. There is, for example, a movement from general methods (analysis of experience) to specific ones (observation, modeling, etc.), and then again to general ones, from qualitative methods to quantitative ones and from them again to qualitative ones.

There is also another classification. All the various methods used in psychological and pedagogical research can be divided into general, general scientific and special.

General scientific methods of cognition- these are methods that are of a general scientific nature and are used in all or a number of areas. These include experiment, mathematical methods and a number of others.

General scientific methods used by various sciences are refracted in accordance with the specifics of each given science using these methods. They are closely related to a group of specific scientific methods that are used only in a certain area and do not go beyond its boundaries, and are used in each science in various combinations. Of great importance for solving most pedagogical problems is the study of the actually developing educational process, theoretical understanding and processing of the creative findings of teachers and other practical workers, i.e. generalization and promotion of advanced experience. The most common methods used to study experience include observation, conversation, questioning, familiarization with the products of students’ activities, and educational documentation. Observation represents a purposeful perception of any pedagogical phenomenon, during which the researcher receives specific factual material or data characterizing the characteristics of the course of any phenomenon. In order for the researcher’s attention not to be scattered and fixed primarily on the aspects of the observed phenomenon that particularly interest him, an observation program is developed in advance, objects of observation are identified, and methods for recording certain moments are provided. Conversation is used as an independent or as an additional research method in order to obtain the necessary clarifications about what was not clear enough during observation. The conversation is conducted according to a pre-planned plan, highlighting issues that require clarification. The conversation is conducted in a free form without recording the interlocutor's answers, in contrast to interviewing - a type of conversation method transferred to pedagogy from sociology. When interviewing, the researcher adheres to pre-planned questions asked in a certain sequence. The responses may be recorded openly. At survey- the method of mass collection of material using questionnaires - answers to questions are written by those to whom the questionnaires are addressed (students, teachers, school employees, in some cases - parents). Questioning is used to obtain data that the researcher cannot obtain in any other way (for example, to identify the attitude of respondents to the pedagogical phenomenon being studied). The effectiveness of a conversation, interviewing, questioning largely depends on the content and form of the questions asked, a tactful explanation of their purpose and purpose in particular, it is recommended that the questions be feasible, unambiguous, concise, clear, objective, do not contain hidden suggestions, provoke interest and desire to answer, etc. An important source of obtaining factual data is the study of pedagogical documentation characterizing the educational process in a particular educational institution (grade and attendance records, personal files and medical records of students, student diaries, minutes of meetings and meetings, etc.). These documents reflect many objective data that help establish a number of causal relationships and identify certain dependencies (for example, between health status and academic performance).

The study of written, graphic and creative works of students is a method that equips the researcher with data reflecting the individuality of each student, showing his attitude to work, the presence of certain abilities.

However, in order to judge the effectiveness of certain pedagogical influences or the value of methodological discoveries made by practitioners, and even more so in order to give any recommendations regarding the use of certain innovations in mass practice, the methods considered are not enough, since how they reveal mainly only purely external connections between individual aspects of the pedagogical phenomenon being studied. For deeper penetration into these connections and dependencies, it is used pedagogical experiment- a specially organized test of a particular method or method of work in order to identify its effectiveness and efficiency. In contrast to the study of actual experience using methods that record only the fact that an existing experiment always involves the creation of a new experience in which the researcher plays an active role. The main condition for the use of a pedagogical experiment in a Soviet school is to carry it out without disrupting the normal course of the educational process, when there is sufficient reason to believe that the innovation being tested can help improve the effectiveness of teaching and education, or at least will not cause undesirable consequences. This experiment is called a natural experiment. If an experiment is carried out in order to test a particular issue or if, in order to obtain the necessary data, it is necessary to ensure particularly careful observation of individual students (sometimes using special equipment), it is allowed to artificially isolate one or more students and place them in special conditions specially created by the researcher . In this case, a laboratory experiment is used, which is used quite rarely in pedagogical research.

A scientifically based assumption about the possible effectiveness of a particular experimentally tested innovation is called a scientific hypothesis.

An essential part of the experiment is observation, carried out according to a specially developed program, as well as the collection of certain data, for which tests, questionnaires, and interviews are used. Recently, technical means have increasingly begun to be used for these purposes: sound recording, filming, photographing at certain moments, surveillance using a hidden television camera. It is promising to use video recorders that make it possible to record observed phenomena and then play them back for analysis.

The most important stage in working with these methods is the analysis and scientific interpretation of the collected data, the researcher’s ability to move from specific facts to theoretical generalizations.

During theoretical analysis, the researcher thinks about the cause-and-effect relationship between the applied methods or techniques of influence and the results obtained, and also looks for reasons that explain the appearance of some unexpected unforeseen results, determines the conditions under which this or that phenomenon occurred, strives to separate the accidental from the necessary, deduces certain psychological and pedagogical patterns.

Theoretical methods can also be used when analyzing data collected from various scientific and pedagogical sources, when comprehending the best practices studied.

Mathematical methods are also used in pedagogical research, helping not only to identify qualitative changes, but also to establish quantitative dependencies between pedagogical phenomena.

The most common mathematical methods used in pedagogy are the following.

Registration- a method of identifying the presence of a certain quality in each group member and a general count of the number of those who have or do not have this quality (for example, the number of successful and unsuccessful students who attended classes without missing and allowed absences, etc.).

Ranging- (or the method of ranking assessment) involves arranging the collected data in a certain sequence, usually in descending or increasing order of some indicators and, accordingly, determining the place in this series of each of the studied (for example, compiling a list of students depending on the number of students admitted to the test work errors, number of missed classes, etc.).

Scaling as a quantitative research method makes it possible to introduce digital indicators into the assessment of individual aspects of pedagogical phenomena. For this purpose, subjects are asked questions, answering which they must indicate the degree or form of assessment selected from among the given assessments, numbered in a certain order (for example, a question about playing sports with a choice of answers: a) I am interested in, b) I do regularly, c) I don’t exercise regularly, d) I don’t do any sports).

Correlating the results obtained with the norm (for given indicators) involves identifying deviations from the norm and correlating these deviations with acceptable intervals (for example, with programmed training, 85-90% of correct answers is often considered the norm; if there are fewer correct answers, this means that the program is too difficult , if more, it means it is too light).

The determination of the average values ​​of the obtained indicators is also used - the arithmetic mean (for example, the average number of errors for a test work identified in two classes), the median, defined as the indicator of the middle of the series (for example, if there are fifteen students in a group, this will be an assessment of the results of the eighth student in the list , in which all students are distributed according to the rank of their grades).

When analyzing and mathematically processing mass material, statistical methods are used, which include the calculation of average values, as well as the calculation of the degrees of dispersion around these values ​​- dispersion, standard deviation, coefficient of variation, etc.

Let's consider the characteristics of empirical studies.

To methods of empirical research should include: study of literature, documents and results of activities, observation, survey, assessment (method of experts or competent judges), testing. More general methods at this level include generalization of teaching experience, experimental pedagogical work, and experiment. They essentially represent complex techniques, including particular methods correlated in a certain way.

Literature Study, documents and results of activities. The study of literature serves as a method of becoming familiar with the facts, history and current state of problems, a way of creating initial ideas, the initial concept of the subject, identifying “blank spots” and ambiguities in the development of the issue.

The study of literature and documentary materials continues throughout the study. The accumulated facts encourage us to rethink and evaluate the content of the studied sources and stimulate interest in issues that have not previously received sufficient attention.

A thorough documentary basis for research is an important condition for its objectivity and depth.

Observation. A very widely used method, used both independently and as a component of more complex methods. Observation consists of the direct perception of phenomena using the senses or their indirect perception through a description by other directly observing people.

Observation is based on perception as a mental process, but this does not exhaust observation as a research method. Observation can be aimed at studying delayed learning results, at studying changes in an object over a certain time. In this case, the results of the perception of phenomena at different times are compared, analyzed, compared, and only after that the results of the observation are determined. When organizing observation, its objects must be identified in advance, goals must be set, and an observation plan must be drawn up. The object of observation is most often the process of activity of the teacher and student, the progress and results of which are judged by words, actions, deeds, and results of completing tasks. The purpose of observation determines the primary focus of attention on certain aspects of activity, on certain connections and relationships (the level and dynamics of interest in the subject, methods of mutual assistance of students in collective work, the ratio of informative and developmental functions of teaching, etc.). Planning helps to highlight the sequence of observation, the order and method of recording its results. Types of observations can be distinguished according to various criteria. On the basis of temporal organization, observation is distinguished between continuous and discrete, and in terms of volume - broad and highly specialized, aimed at identifying individual aspects of a phenomenon or individual objects (monographic observation of individual students).

Survey. This method is used in two main forms: in the form of an oral survey (interview) and in the form of a written survey (questionnaire). Each of these forms has its own strengths and weaknesses.

The survey reflects subjective opinions and assessments. Often, respondents guess what is required of them, and voluntarily or unwittingly tune in to the required answer. The survey method should be considered as a means of collecting primary material that is subject to cross-checking with other methods. A survey is always based on expectations based on a certain understanding of the nature and structure of the phenomena being studied, as well as ideas about the attitudes and assessments of the respondents. The task arises, first of all, to identify the objective content in subjective and often discrepant answers, to identify the leading objective tendencies in them, the reasons for discrepancies in assessments. Then the problem of comparing what was expected and what was received arises and is solved, which can serve as the basis for adjusting or changing the initial ideas about the subject.

Assessment(method of competent judges). Essentially, this is a combination of indirect observation and questioning, associated with the involvement of the most competent people in the assessment of the phenomena being studied, whose opinions, complementing and cross-checking each other, make it possible to objectively assess what is being studied. This method is very economical. Its use requires a number of conditions. First of all, this is a careful selection of experts - people who know the area being assessed, the object being studied well, and are capable of an objective and unbiased assessment.

Study and generalization of teaching experience. The scientific study and generalization of pedagogical experience serves various research purposes; identifying the existing level of functioning of the pedagogical process, bottlenecks and conflicts that arise in practice, studying the effectiveness and accessibility of scientific recommendations, identifying elements of the new, rational, born in the everyday creative search of advanced teachers. Thus, the object of study can be mass experience (to identify leading trends), negative experience (to identify characteristic shortcomings and errors), but the study of advanced experience is of particular importance, in the process of which valuable grains of new things are identified, generalized, and become the property of science and practice. , found in mass practice: original techniques and their combinations, interesting methodological systems (techniques).

Naturally, the choice of methods is largely determined by the level at which the work is carried out (empirical or theoretical), the nature of the research (methodological, applied theoretical) and the content of its final and intermediate tasks.

You can point out a number of characteristic errors when choosing methods:

a template approach to choosing a method, its conventional use without taking into account specific tasks and research conditions; universalization of individual methods or techniques, for example, questionnaires and sociometry;

ignoring or insufficient use of theoretical methods, especially idealization, ascent from the abstract to the concrete;

inability to create a holistic methodology from individual methods that optimally provides solutions to scientific research problems.

Any method in itself represents a semi-finished product, a blank that needs to be modified and specified in relation to the tasks, the subject, and specifically the conditions of the search work.

Finally, you need to think about such a combination of research methods so that they successfully complement each other, revealing the subject of research more fully and deeply, so that it is possible to double-check the results obtained by one method using another. For example, it is useful to clarify, deepen, and verify the results of preliminary observations and conversations with students by analyzing the results of tests or students’ behavior in specially created situations.

The above allows us to formulate some criteria for the correct choice of research method:

1. Adequacy to the object, subject, general objectives of the study, as well as. accumulated material.

2. Compliance with modern principles of scientific research.

H. Scientific prospects, i.e. a reasonable assumption that the chosen method will give new and reliable results.

4. Compliance with the logical structure (stage) of the study.

5. A more complete focus on the development of the personality of students is possible, because the research method in many cases becomes a method of education and upbringing, i.e., a “tool for touching the personality.”

6. Interrelation and interdependence with other methods in a single methodological system.

All components of the methodology and the methodology as a whole must be checked for compliance with the objectives of the study, sufficient evidence, and full compliance with the principles of pedagogical research.

(according to V.A. Slastenin)

In accordance with the logic of scientific research, a research methodology is being developed. It is a complex of theoretical and empirical methods, the combination of which makes it possible to most reliably study such a complex and multifunctional object as the educational process. The use of a number of methods allows for a comprehensive study of the problem under study, all its aspects and parameters.

Methods of pedagogical research in contrast to methodology, these are the very methods of studying pedagogical phenomena, obtaining scientific information about them in order to establish natural connections, relationships and construct scientific theories. All their diversity can be divided into three groups: methods of studying teaching experience, methods of theoretical research and mathematical and statistical methods.

Methods for studying teaching experience - These are ways to study the actual experience of organizing the educational process. Studied as best practice, i.e. the experience of the best teachers and the experience of ordinary teachers. Their difficulties often reflect real contradictions in the pedagogical process, existing or emerging problems. When studying teaching experience, methods such as observation, conversation, interviews, questionnaires, study of written, graphic and creative works of students, and pedagogical documentation are used.

Observation - purposeful perception of any pedagogical phenomenon, during which the researcher receives specific factual material. At the same time, records (protocols) of observations are kept. Observation is usually carried out according to a pre-planned plan, highlighting specific objects of observation.

Observation stages:

Definition of tasks and goals (why, for what purpose is the observation being carried out);

Selection of object, subject and situation (what to observe);

Choosing an observation method that has the least impact on the object under study and most ensures the collection of the necessary information (how to observe);

Selecting methods for recording what is observed (how to keep records);

Processing and interpretation of the information received (what is the result).

A distinction is made between included observation, when the researcher becomes a member of the group in which the observation is being conducted, and non-involved observation - “from the outside”; open and hidden (incognito); continuous and selective.

Observation is a very accessible method, but it has its drawbacks due to the fact that the results of observation are influenced by the personal characteristics (attitudes, interests, mental states) of the researcher.

Survey methods - conversation, interview, questionnaire. Conversation - an independent or additional research method used to obtain the necessary information or clarify something that was not clear enough during observation. The conversation is conducted according to a pre-planned plan, highlighting issues that require clarification. The conversation is conducted in a free form without recording the interlocutor’s answers. A type of conversation is interviewing, brought into pedagogy from sociology. When interviewing, the researcher adheres to pre-planned questions asked in a certain sequence. During the interview, responses are recorded openly.

Questioning - method of mass collection of material using a questionnaire. Those to whom the questionnaires are addressed provide written answers to the questions. Conversations and interviews are called face-to-face surveys, while questionnaires are called correspondence surveys.

The effectiveness of conversations, interviews and questionnaires largely depends on the content and structure of the questions asked. The conversation plan, interview and questionnaire are a list of questions (questionnaire). Stages of compiling a questionnaire:

Determining the nature of the information that needs to be obtained;

Drawing up an approximate series of questions that should be asked;

Drawing up the first plan of the questionnaire;

Its preliminary verification through a trial study;

Correction of the questionnaire and its final editing.

Valuable material can provide studying the products of students' activities: written, graphic, creative and test works, drawings, blueprints, details, notebooks in individual disciplines, etc. These works can provide the necessary information about the student’s individuality, his attitude to work and the achieved level of skills in one or another areas.

Studying school documentation(personal files of students, medical records, class registers, student diaries, minutes of meetings) equips the researcher with some objective data characterizing the actual practice of organizing the educational process.

Plays a special role in pedagogical research experiment - a specially organized test of a particular method or method of work to identify its pedagogical effectiveness. A pedagogical experiment is a research activity with the aim of studying cause-and-effect relationships in pedagogical phenomena, which involves experimental modeling of a pedagogical phenomenon and the conditions for its occurrence; active influence of the researcher on the pedagogical phenomenon; measuring response, results of pedagogical influence and interaction; repeated reproducibility of pedagogical phenomena and processes.

The following are distinguished: stages of the experiment:

Theoretical (statement of the problem, definition of the goal, object and subject of research, its tasks and hypotheses);

Methodological (development of research methodology and its plan, program, methods for processing the results obtained);

The experiment itself is conducting a series of experiments (creating experimental situations, observing, managing the experience and measuring the reactions of the subjects);

Analytical - quantitative and qualitative analysis, interpretation of the obtained facts, formulation of conclusions and practical recommendations.

A distinction is made between a natural experiment (under the conditions of the normal educational process) and a laboratory experiment - the creation of artificial conditions for testing, for example, a particular teaching method, when individual students are isolated from others. The most commonly used experiment is a natural experiment. It can be long-term or short-term.

A pedagogical experiment can be ascertaining, establishing only the real state of affairs in the process, or transformative (developing), when it is purposefully organized to determine the conditions (methods, forms and content of education) for the development of the personality of a schoolchild or children's group. A transformative experiment requires control groups for comparison. The difficulties of the experimental method are that it is necessary to have excellent command of the technique of its implementation; special delicacy, tact, and scrupulousness on the part of the researcher are required, and the ability to establish contact with the subject.

The listed methods are also called methods of empirical knowledge of pedagogical phenomena. They serve as a means of collecting scientific and pedagogical facts that are subject to theoretical analysis. That is why a special group is allocated methods of theoretical research.

Theoretical analysis - this is the identification and consideration of individual aspects, signs, features, and properties of pedagogical phenomena. By analyzing individual facts, grouping, systematizing them, we identify the general and special in them, and establish a general principle or rule. Analysis is accompanied by synthesis; it helps to penetrate into the essence of the pedagogical phenomena being studied.

Inductive and deductive methods - these are logical methods for summarizing empirically obtained data. The inductive method involves the movement of thought from particular judgments to a general conclusion, the deductive method - from a general judgment to a particular conclusion.

Mathematical methods in pedagogy they are used to process data obtained by survey and experimental methods, as well as to establish quantitative relationships between the phenomena being studied. They help evaluate the results of an experiment, increase the reliability of conclusions, and provide grounds for theoretical generalizations. The most common mathematical methods used in pedagogy are registration, ranking, and scaling.

Registration - method of identifying the presence of a certain quality4. quality for each group member and a general count of the number of those who have or do not have this quality (for example, the number of those actively working in class and those who are passive).

Ranging(or the rank assessment method) requires arranging the collected data in a certain sequence (usually in descending or increasing order of some indicators) and, accordingly, determining the place in this series of each of the subjects (for example, compiling a list of the most preferred classmates).

Scaling - introduction of digital indicators in the assessment of individual aspects of pedagogical phenomena. For this purpose, subjects are asked questions, answering which they must choose one of the specified assessments. For example, in the question about engaging in any activity in your free time, you need to choose one of the evaluative answers: I am interested, I do it regularly, I do it irregularly, I don’t do anything.

Comparing the results obtained with the norm (for given indicators) involves determining the deviation from it and correlating the results with acceptable intervals. For example, normal self-esteem of a person is coefficient values ​​from 0.3 to 0.5. If it is less than 0.3, then self-esteem is underestimated, if it is more than 0.5, then it is overestimated.

Statistical methods are used when processing mass material - determining the average values ​​of the obtained indicators: arithmetic average (for example, determining the number of errors in test work of the control and experimental groups); median - an indicator of the middle of the series (for example, if there are twelve students in a group, the median will be the score of the sixth student in the list, in which all students are distributed according to the rank of their scores); calculating the degree of dispersion around these values ​​- dispersion, i.e. standard deviation, coefficient of variation, etc.

To carry out these calculations, there are appropriate formulas and reference tables are used. The results processed using these methods make it possible to show a quantitative relationship in the form of graphs, diagrams, and tables.

Related information.

Methodology and methods of pedagogical research

The concept of pedagogy methodology.

Methodological principles of pedagogical research.

Classification and characteristics of pedagogical research methods.

The concept of pedagogy methodology.

Methodology– the doctrine of structure, logical organization, methods and means of activity. Methodology of science– the doctrine of the principles of construction, forms and methods of scientific knowledge (Encyclopedic Dictionary).

Methodology of science- this is a set of initial philosophical ideas that underlie the study of natural or social phenomena and which decisively affect the theoretical interpretation of these phenomena.

Methodology is a system of principles and methods for constructing theoretical and practical activities, as well as the doctrine of the method of scientific knowledge and transformation of the world.

Over the past decades, the methodology has undergone significant development. First of all, its focus on helping the researcher and developing his special skills in the field of research work has increased. Thus, the methodology acquires, as they say, a normative orientation, and its important task becomes the methodological support of research work.

2. Methodological principles of pedagogical research.

The methodology of pedagogy is based on:

A) dialectical method studying social processes of activity, communication, relationships, interaction (studying the surrounding life in development);

b) structural approach in the description of pedagogical processes and objects of activity in their functions, stable connections and relationships between elements of the organization;

V) value-semantic and personal-time approach in considering pedagogical phenomena and processes from the standpoint of active aspirations, value orientations, motives, interests, the level of aspirations of a particular person’s personality (discovering meaning, prospects, significant benefits for students);

G) system analysis pedagogical processes and phenomena in their holistic construction (formulation of the final and intermediate goals, means, object and subject of research and a program of activities that ensures the achievement of target results in a specific situation).

3. Classification and characteristics of pedagogical research methods.

Research methods refer to methods for solving research problems. These are various tools for a scientist to penetrate into the depths of the objects under study. The richer the arsenal of methods of a particular science, the higher the success of scientists. The stock of scientific tools of pedagogy is continuously replenished through the construction of new methods and the borrowing of methods from other sciences suitable for pedagogical purposes.

Let's consider the main methods of pedagogical research. For a generalized presentation, let’s group these methods (Table 2).

METHODS OF SCIENTIFIC AND PEDAGOGICAL RESEARCH

CLASSIFICATIONS

Passive:

• ObservationSingle-stage: School:

  analysis of activity products (questionnaires, (classrooms,

  studying school documentation testing) extracurricular)

Active: Long-term: Laboratory:

• Questioning (observation, (in artificial

  Testing experiment) conditions)

  sociometric methods

  self-esteem

THEORETICAL

EMPIRICAL

comparative historical analysis observation

modeling conversation; interview

cause-and-effect analysis questionnaire

analysis and synthesis generalization of independent characteristics

Observation method. It is defined as the researcher’s direct perception of the pedagogical phenomena and processes being studied. Along with direct tracking of the progress of observed processes, indirect tracking is also practiced, when the process itself is hidden, and its real picture can be recorded by some indicators. For example, observations are being made of the results of an experiment to stimulate the cognitive activity of students. In this case, one of the indicators of changes is the academic performance of schoolchildren, recorded in the forms of assessments, the pace of mastering educational information, the amount of material mastered, and the facts of students’ personal initiative in acquiring knowledge. As we see, the cognitive activity of students itself can be recorded indirectly.

There are several types of observations. Direct and indirect, where either the researcher or his assistants act, or, as stated above, the facts are recorded using several indirect indicators.

Further, continuous or discrete observations are distinguished. The first is to cover processes in their entirety. From their beginning to the end, to completion. The latter represent a dotted, selective recording of certain phenomena and processes being studied. For example, when studying the labor intensity of teacher and student work in a lesson, the entire learning cycle is observed from its start at the beginning of the lesson to the end of the lesson. And when studying nervous situations in teacher-student relationships, the researcher waits, as it were, for these events to then describe in detail the reasons for their occurrence, the behavior of both conflicting parties, i.e. teachers and students.

Research observation is organized from three positions: neutral, from the position of the head of the pedagogical process, and when the researcher is involved in real natural activities. For example, a scientist monitors the decline and rise of students’ intellectual initiative during lessons in humanities and non-humanities school disciplines. In this case, he is positioned in the classroom so as to keep everyone in sight, but to be invisible himself. It is ideal when his presence is not felt by either the teacher or the students. Observation from the second position assumes that the researcher himself teaches the lesson, combining practical and research tasks. Finally, the third position involves the inclusion of the researcher in the structure of the action of the subjects as an ordinary performer of all cognitive operations, together with the students for self-testing in the role of the latter.

The types of scientific observations in pedagogy include such as open and secret observations. The first means that the subjects know the fact of their scientific control, and the researcher’s activities are perceived visually. Conspiratorial observation presupposes the fact of covert monitoring of the actions of the subjects.

The methodological arsenal also includes such types of observation as longitudinal (longitudinal) and retrospective (turning to the past). Suppose we are studying the conditions for the development of a schoolchild’s mathematical abilities from the first to the eleventh grade. During longitudinal observation, the researcher faces the need to analyze the conditions and their impact on the student over 11 years. With retro-observation, the movement towards obtaining facts goes in the opposite direction. The researcher uses the student's or professional's school background to work with them or their school teachers to identify what had a decisive influence on the progress of the subjects' mathematical abilities during their school years.

Observation materials are recorded using such means as protocol, diary entries, video-film recordings, phonographic recordings, etc. In conclusion, we emphasize that the observation method, with all its capabilities, is limited. It allows one to detect only external manifestations of pedagogical facts. Internal processes remain inaccessible for observation.

Survey methods in pedagogy. Survey methods for studying pedagogical problems are relatively simple in organization and universal as a means of obtaining data on a wide thematic spectrum. They are used in sociology, demography, political science, and other sciences. Survey methods of science include the practice of government services for studying public opinion, population censuses, and collecting information for making management decisions. Surveys of various population groups form the basis of government statistics. And various forms of government reporting are, in principle, close to survey methods for obtaining information about the state of certain structures and processes of social life. Electoral systems around the world cannot do without polling methods.

In pedagogy, three well-known types of survey methods are used: conversation, questioning, and interviewing. A conversation is a dialogue between a researcher and subjects according to a pre-developed program. The general rules for using a conversation include the selection of competent respondents, the justification and communication of the motives for the study 5 corresponding to the interests of the subjects, the formulation of variations of questions, including questions “in the face”, questions with hidden meaning; questions testing the sincerity of answers and others. Open and hidden phonograms of research conversations are practiced.

The interview method is close to the research conversation method. Here the researcher, as it were, sets a topic to clarify the point of view and assessments of the subject on the issue being studied. The rules of interviewing include creating conditions conducive to the sincerity of the subjects. Both conversation and interviews are more productive in an atmosphere of informal contacts and sympathy evoked by the researcher among the subjects. It is better if the respondents’ answers are not transcribed in front of his eyes, but are reproduced later from the researcher’s memory. Both survey methods, which resemble interrogation, are not allowed in pedagogical science.

Questioning as a written survey is more productive, documented, and flexible in its ability to obtain and process information. There are several types of surveys. Contact questioning is carried out when the researcher distributes, fills out and collects completed questionnaires during direct communication with the subjects. Correspondence surveys are organized through correspondent connections. Questionnaires with instructions are sent by mail and returned in the same way to the research organization. Press surveys are carried out through a questionnaire posted in the newspaper. After filling out such questionnaires by readers, the editors process the data received in accordance with the goals of the scientific or practical design of the survey.

There are three types of questionnaires. An open questionnaire contains questions without accompanying ready-made answers for the subject to choose from. The closed-type questionnaire is structured in such a way that for each question, ready-made answers are given for the respondents to choose from. Finally, a mixed questionnaire contains elements of both. In it, some of the answers are offered for choice and at the same time, free lines are left with a proposal to formulate an answer that goes beyond the limits of the proposed questions.

Organizing a questionnaire survey involves carefully developing the structure of the questionnaire, its preliminary testing through the so-called “piloting”, i.e. trial survey on several subjects. After this, the wording of the questions is finalized, the questionnaires are replicated in sufficient quantities, and the type of questionnaire is selected. The technique for processing questionnaires is determined both by the number of people involved in the survey and by the degree of complexity and cumbersomeness of the content of the questionnaire. Processing “manually” is carried out by counting the types of answers according to memory categories. Machine processing of questionnaires is possible if the responses are indexed and amenable to formalization and statistical processing.

Pedagogical experiment is considered one of the main research methods in pedagogical science. It is defined in a general sense as an experimental test of a hypothesis. Experiments are global in scale, i.e. covering a significant number of subjects, local and micro-experiments conducted with minimal coverage of their participants.

State and government scientific institutions and educational authorities can act as organizers of large experiments. Thus, in the history of domestic education, at one time a global experiment was carried out, in which a hypothesis was tested to test the model of general education for children from the age of six. As a result, all the components of this large scientific project were worked out and the country then switched to educating children from this age.

Certain rules for organizing pedagogical experiments have emerged. These include such as the inadmissibility of risks to the health and development of the subjects, guarantees against harm to their well-being, and against damage to life in the present and future.

In the experimental technique, as a rule, two groups of subjects are distinguished. One receives the status of experimental, the other - control. The first implements an innovative solution. In the second, the same didactic tasks or problems of education are implemented within the framework of traditional pedagogical solutions. Scientists are able to compare two results that prove or disprove the correctness of their hypothesis. For example, the assimilation of a section of mathematics is compared when schoolchildren sequentially study program topics and through the use of enlarged didactic units (UDU). And when the experimenter (Prof. P.M. Erdniev) compared the consequences of his innovative didactic design with the developmental influences of traditional teaching methods, he saw evidence of the superiority of his developments over traditional methods of teaching mathematics.

Further, there are such types of experiments as “mental”, “bench” and “full-scale”. Already by the name it is not difficult to guess that a thought experiment is a reproduction of experimental actions and operations in the mind. Thanks to repeated playback of experimental situations, the researcher is able to discover conditions under which his experimental work may encounter obstacles and require any additional development reconstructions. A bench experiment involves reproducing experimental actions with the participation of participants in a laboratory setting. It is similar to a role-playing game, where an experimental model is reproduced in order to test it before being included in a natural experiment, where subjects participate in a real setting of the pedagogical process. As a result, the experimental program, after this kind of preliminary verification, receives a comprehensively corrected and prepared character.

Two types of experiment are also known in pedagogy: natural and laboratory. A natural experiment is carried out by introducing an experimental design into everyday scenarios of educational, educational, and managerial work of the experimental teacher or his partners in scientific research. Laboratory research involves the creation of artificial conditions where the working hypothesis put forward by the author of the study is tested.

Testing occupies a special place in the system of research methods. Testing methods (from the English word “test” - experience, trial) are interpreted as methods of psychological diagnosis of subjects. Testing is carried out using carefully developed standardized questions and tasks with scales of their values ​​to identify individual differences between test takers. Since their development, tests have been used primarily for practical purposes to select specialists based on their abilities and practical preparation for performing various social roles.

There are international tests to compare indicators achieved in the education and development of children and adults. Tests are perceived as examinations of people's suitability for a particular field of activity. Computer testing programs are becoming increasingly widespread, allowing the use of a computer in an interactive dialogue mode in a human-machine system. There are tests to identify students' progress, tests to determine the professional predisposition of people. Tests are also used in pedagogical research. In psychological science, achievement tests, intelligence tests, creativity (ability) tests, projective tests, personality tests, and so on are used.

This is the composition of the most common methods of pedagogical research. We emphasize that each researcher approaches the use of scientific research methods creatively. They are adapted, adapted to the topic and tasks, object and subject, conditions of scientific work. As we see, methods are modified in order to give them optimal abilities to productively solve scientific problems.