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Temple University Center for Research
in Human Development and Education |
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Scientifically Based Research: What Is It? And Why Does it Matter to Me?
140
by
Jill Stoltzfus, Ph.D.
MAR*TEC Project Director
Temple University
When one hears the term “scientifically based research,” words such as “random assignment,” “treatment group,” “informed consent”—perhaps even “guinea pig”—may come to mind. With the advent of No Child Left Behind and the increased emphasis on school accountability, scientifically based research has become critical to the decisions made by educators and administrators about how best to improve their students’ academic performance.
So what exactly is scientifically based research? And why does it matter so much to the field of education?
Brief History of Scientifically Based Research in Education
It may be tempting to discount the notion of scientifically based research in education as yet another politically motivated catchphrase similar to the emphasis placed on “closing the digital divide” in the past. However, the question about whether education is truly scientific traces back to the early 1890s, with rancor and controversy marking the debate from all sides. After
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many decades of governmental laws and programs designed to clarify the impact of research in education, No Child Left Behind (NCLB) represents the latest initiative. Indeed, the NCLB Act of 2001 (2002) arguably spells out the expectations for scientifically based research’s role in education more directly than ever before in calling for “...research that involves the application of rigorous, systematic and objective procedures to obtain reliable and valid knowledge relevant to education activities and programs”(p. 540-541).
For educators and administrators, then, the challenge is to make sense of these expectations in ways that are relevant and meaningful to the school context.
Scientifically Based Research: Key Factors and Considerations
In translating NCLB’s scientifically based research expectations into more user-friendly terms, it is essential to address the four components that form the foundation of scientifically based research. These components are (a) application of appropriate research design, methods, and techniques; (b) research based on empirical measurement or observation; (c) research that is both replicable and applicable; and (d) use of a peer review process to establish persuasiveness (NCLB Act of 2001, 2002).
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