Axiology

“...methodological decisions in educational research are informed by axiological as well as ontological and epistemological considerations” (Taber, 2014: 1863)

Taber, K. S. (2014). Methodological issues in science education research: a perspective from the philosophy of science. In M. R. Matthews (Ed.), International Handbook of Research in History, Philosophy and Science Teaching (Vol. 3, pp. 1839-1893). Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands.

“A...term you may see in your reading is ‘axiology’, which relates to the basic values we bring to our research. All researchers need to be concerned that their research is undertaken ethically...However, some researchers working in education go beyond this, and feel that research worth their time and attention has to be driven by such imperatives as challenging social inequalities or working towards a more democratic society.

Other educational researchers may well feel that education is inherently a good thing, and that any research that can inform educational work is therefore worth doing. Finding a better way to teach about quadratic equations or ancient Egyptian society is likely to excite some researchers in this later group, but not those who feel that worthwhile educational work has to play a transformative role in changing people’s lives and the society they live in. Some of these researchers may well feel that schools have an important role in maintaining social inequalities that are reproduced in part through the education system, and so that research that simply finds more effective ways to do the traditional work of schools is a distraction” (Taber, 2013: 47-48)

Taber, K. S. (2013). Classroom-based Research and Evidence-based Practice: An introduction (2nd ed.). London: Sage.

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