Three-category taxonomy of educational research evidence¶
Research Method · All research methods
Evidence · 3 claims (3 for) · 1 study (1 review),q2· 0 of 1 report an effect size · 3 claims rest on one study
Description¶
The article organizes science education evidence into three research categories with different methodological strengths and different implications for policy. Program-based studies evaluate whole programs with pre-post or business-as-usual designs; controlled studies "alter only one target factor at a time to examine the effectiveness of an instructional procedure over alternatives" using random assignment; correlational studies use large datasets such as TIMSS and PISA to examine associations over large populations. The article argues the three categories yield divergent findings about inquiry-based teaching and that policy should draw on all three.
Accounts¶
- Three-category taxonomy of educational research evidence: program-based studies, randomized controlled studies, and correlational studies: The article organizes science education evidence into three research categories with different methodological strengths and different implications for policy. Program-based studies evaluate whole programs with pre-post or business-as-usual designs; controlled studies "alter only one target factor at a time to examine the effectiveness of an instructional procedure over alternatives" using random assignment; correlational studies use large datasets such as TIMSS and PISA to examine associations over large populations. The article argues the three categories yield divergent findings about inquiry-based teaching and that policy should draw on all three. (Lin Zhang et al. (2022))
Claims¶
- Program-based studies cannot isolate the effect of inquiry-based instruction because they vary many program elements simultaneously [+W]
- Controlled studies comparing exploration-based investigation with explicit instruction overwhelmingly favor explicit instruction for science content learning [+M]
- Correlational studies using large international datasets find negative associations between inquiry-based investigation involvement and science achievement [+M]
Related Research Methods¶
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Key Sources¶
- Lin Zhang, Paul A. Kirschner, William W. Cobern, John Sweller. (2022). There is an Evidence Crisis in Science Educational Policy. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-021-09646-1
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
research-method |
id |
three-category-taxonomy-of-educational-research-evidence |
title |
Three-category taxonomy of educational research evidence |
description |
The article organizes science education evidence into three research categories with different methodological strengths and different implications for policy. |
status |
review |
generated |
by process:settle-candidates on 2026-10-21 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
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