I have just completed the second week of my first course in my Masters in Educational Technology degree program via UBC. The course is on the Methodology of Educational Research. The textbook I’m (kind of) reading defines ‘educational research’ as the application of the scientific method in an educational setting.
I remember the scientific method. It was taught to me in school. I taught it to my students when I taught, likely quite poorly, Grade 7 & 8 Science. I watch it take its place inside the classrooms I visit as a principal. Except my professor stated something which I’ll paraphrase here:
She said something like, “To help frame your research question, start exploring your own practice and ask yourself questions that begin in ‘I wonder’. “
‘I wonder’ statements. In a Masters’ degree course. As a starting point for educational research. Hmmm… Not ‘Form a clearly stated purpose or question’. Not ‘Predict the outcome and form your hypothesis’. Not ‘Explore current research to help frame your question’. I was simply asked to start looking at my practice with “I wonder” statements in mind. In the same way we ask our students to look at their world with ‘I wonder’ statements in mind.
Another example of All I really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. 🙂 I think I’m really going to like this Masters’ thing. 🙂
Principal Learning 