Towards a social science of the social: the contribution of praxeological research

Abstract

Educational research developed initially using the natural science model based on the positivist tradition. Education was then seen as an application of the positivist science thus produced. This research could predict some effects but not explain the processes through which these effects came about. This exclusively numerical representation of educational social reality led to oversimplifications. The natural sciences paradigm is not adequate to conduct research in social sciences since the object of the research is not an inert raw material. Pedagogical praxis as educational action ‘infused with’ theory, supported by a belief system and an ethical code needs an inquiry method that can take into account this complexity. Praxeological research in education has emerged recently as a powerful alternative for the change of pedagogical praxis, the transformation of educational contexts and the construction of empirical knowledge about complex educational realities. Praxeological research is inscribed in the movement of searching for a social science of the social.

RÉSUMÉ: A l'origine, la recherche dans le domaine de l'éducation s'est conformé au modèle de recherche des sciences naturelles et elle a été conçue comme une science positiviste appliquée. Cette recherche voulait prédire des effets, mais ne pouvait pas expliquer leur pourquoi. Cette représentation exclusivement numérique de la réalité éducative sociale a mené à des simplifications exagérées. Le paradigme des sciences naturelles n'est pas adéquat pour la recherche en sciences sociales, comme le sujet de recherche ne consiste pas de matériaux inanimés. La « praxis » pédagogique, étant une action éducative infusé de théorie et supporté par un système de valeurs et une éthique, a besoin d'une méthode qui prend en compte cette complexité. La recherche praxéologique propose une alternative forte pour changer la praxis pédagogique, pour la transformation de contextes éducatives et pour la construction de savoirs empiriques sur des réalités éducatives complexes. La recherche praxéologique s'inscrit dans un mouvement de recherche pour une science sociale du social.

ZUSAMMENFASSUNG: Die Erziehungswissenschaften entwickelten sich ursprünglich in entsprechend dem Modell der Naturwissenschaften, begründet in einer positivistischen Tradition. Erziehung wurde als Anwendung der positivistischen Wissenschaft verstanden. Forschung in einem solchen Modell konnte bestimmte Wirkungszusammenhänge vorhersagen, nicht aber die Prozesse erklären durch welche die Wirkungen erreicht wurden. Diese ausschliesslich numerischen Repräsentation pädagogischer sozialer Wirklichkeit führte zu übermässiger Vereinfachung. Das naturwissenschaftliche Paradigma ist für Sozialwisenschaftliche Forschung unangebracht da der Gegenstand der Forschung kein inertes Rohmaterial ist. Pädagogische Praxis, verstanden als erzieherische, theoriebefruchtete Aktion, unterstützt durch ein Wertesystem und einen Ethischen Kodex erfordert eine forschungsmethode die dieser Komplexität gerecht wird. Praxeologische Forschung bietet seit einiger Zeit eine wirkungsvolle Alternative zur Veränderung pädagogischer Praxis, zur Transformation des erzieherischen Kontexts, und zur Konstruktion empirisch begründetem Wissens über komplexe erzieherische Wirklichkeiten. Praxeologische Forschung ist eingebettet in eine grössere Bewegung: die Suche nach einer Sozialwissenschaft für das Soziale.

RESUMEN: Inicialmente, la investigación educativa usaba el modelo de ciencia natural basada en la tradición positivista. La educación era entonces considerada como una aplicación de la ciencia positiva. Esta investigación podría predecir algunos efectos pero no explicar los procesos mediante los cuales se llegaban estos efectos. Esta representación exclusivamente numérica de la realidad social educativa condujo a sobre-simplificaciones. Los paradigmas de la ciencia natural no son adecuados para llevar a cabo una investigación en ciencias sociales ya que el objeto de la investigación no es un material inerte. La praxis pedagógica como acción educativa abonó en teoría, apoyada por un sistema de creencias y un código ético, un método de investigación que toma en cuenta su complejidad. La investigación praxeológica en educación ha surgido recientemente como una alternativa potente para el cambio de la praxis pedagógica, la transformación de los contextos educativos y la construcción del conocimiento empírico acerca de realidades educativas complejas. La investigación praxeológica se inscribe en el movimiento de la búsqueda de una ciencia social para lo social.

Keywords:

• qualitative research
• action research
• social sciences
• praxeological research

Notes

For instance, it was the inspiration for functionalism in Sociology of Education or cognitivism in Psychology of Education.

Education as a field of action is much more that this accumulation of compartmentalised knowledge. It is a field per se, in its own right. Over the last 10 years, in the field of Early Years Education, we have seen a call of attention to pedagogy as a field in its own right (Formosinho and Oliveira-Formosinho 2008).

The concept of professions of human development includes professional occupations working with people in direct interpersonal contact, where this interaction process is an essential part of the very content of professional intervention (Formosinho 2011). The concept covers a range of health and welfare (nurses, therapists, psychologists, nutritionists and other health workers), social work (social workers, family workers and other social workers), community work (community workers, cultural animators and other community workers), education (teachers, early childhood professionals, supervisors, trainers and other education workers).

This facilitates the perception by some (few) researchers of the need or legitimacy of freeing themselves from what they perceive as external unreasonable constraints to their research work. Scientific practice along the years showed many breaches of conduct in regard to this code of neutrality regarding interests in the research results – political, military, industrial, government interests, among others.

The mere pretence of permanent congruence and the wish of not contradicting oneself over past publications can trouble the neutrality of the researcher.

Polanyi (1966) and later Elliot (2000, 2010), among others, considered implicit knowledge as very important for the development of professional practical knowledge and for the life of organisations.

Kurt Lewin is also known as one of the modern pioneers of social, organizational, and applied psychology, often recognized as the ‘founder of social psychology’ and was one of the first to study group dynamics and organizational development.

Jacob Levy Moreno (1889–1974) was a Romanian-born Austrian-American leading psychiatrist and psychosociologist, thinker and educator, the founder of psychodrama, and the foremost pioneer of group psychotherapy. During his lifetime, he was recognized as one of the leading social scientists.

Lewin brings certain elements from social psychology; Moreno aids others and educational psychology brings the focus of individual change.

Some sources to understand these different expressions are the two handbooks on action research: Reason and Bradbury (2001); Noffke and Somekh (2010).

Praxeological research envisages the transformation of pedagogical praxis in all dimensions – meaning that change in attitudes and believes is important but it is not sufficient to benefit children and their families if it is not followed by changes in direct interactions and pedagogical practice with children and their families. Change processes need to bring closer words and deeds, believes and theories, cognitions and emotions.

Even an academic supervisor can be a praxeological researcher if she/he is involved in the context supervising the field work.

We are aware that this type of table represent always some simplification, but even so is still useful.

The wide range of methods and techniques is also presented in Pascal and Bertram (this issue).

The interviews remain one of the best research instrument for hearing the participants' voices, as co-constructors of their own new knowledge and learning journey. Only self reported changes can elicit the deep link between processes and outcomes, can connect specific changes with specific aspects of the context and make explicit the informant's theory of professional and organisational change.

Since the middle 1990s, in the ambit of health studies, this is a central focus for projects development. In 1998, in England, Cochrane Foundation established the Qualitative Research Methods Working Group. In the USA, the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill School of Nursing, created the Qualitative Meta-synthesis Project.