Investigating the teaching of research methodology in psychology and educational sciences in Iran مقالة

خلاصة:

This article was compiled based on the studies and findings of an approved scientific research conducted for the purpose of "Investigating research methodology in psychology and educational sciences in Iran." The objectives of this research were to see: 1- On which epistemological and methodological theoretical foundations are the texts and resources used in university research method classes in psychology and educational sciences primarily based? 2- What is the status of articles published in Iranian scientific-research journals of psychology and educational sciences in terms of epistemology, methodology, and the goal or type of research design? 3- To what extent do the syllabi taught in research method courses at undergraduate, master's, and doctoral levels in psychology and educational sciences in the country's major universities correspond with the titles presented in important academic research method resources? 4- What are the theoretical and epistemological foundations in the teaching content of professors in research method classes at undergraduate, master's, and doctoral levels in psychology and educational sciences in the country's major universities? 5- To what extent do undergraduate, master's, and doctoral students of psychology and educational sciences in research method classes at the country's major universities grasp the nature of research and the theoretical and epistemological foundations (philosophy of science) in research methodology? To answer the first and second questions, sixteen main sources for teaching research methods in psychology and educational sciences and all psychology articles published in the latest issue of the country's scientific-research journals were examined. Also, to answer the third, fourth, and fifth questions, structured interviews were conducted with 22 professors of research method courses in psychology and educational sciences who teach at undergraduate, master's, and doctoral levels in seven major universities in the country (University of Tehran, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Shahid Beheshti University, Tarbiat Moallem University, Azad University of Tehran, Shiraz University, Isfahan University) in the faculties of psychology and educational sciences of these universities, as well as 119 students who had the highest grades in the seven faculties of psychology and educational sciences of the aforementioned universities at undergraduate, master's, and doctoral levels. This research showed that: 1- The epistemological and methodological foundations of research method textbooks taught in universities are of the positivist and post-positivist type and a quantitative method. 2- Psychology and education articles published in the country's scientific-research journals of psychology and educational sciences are based on the philosophy of science of positivism and post-positivism and a quantitative methodology, and are mainly the result of strategic research designs. 3- The number of teaching units in the three levels of undergraduate, master's, and doctoral psychology and educational sciences is very low, and the syllabi taught by professors in classes are much less than the titles present in original scientific research method resources. 4- The theoretical foundations of epistemology taught by research method professors are also basically of a positivist and post-positivist quantitative philosophy, and little attention is paid to qualitative research. 5- Students of research method courses at the undergraduate, master's, and doctoral levels of psychology and educational sciences are not familiar with the nature of research and the theoretical foundations of the philosophy of science in psycho-educational research, and no significant training is provided to them in this regard.