International Review of Contemporary Learning Research ISSN (2210-1438) Int. Rev. Cont. Lear. Res. 3, No. 2 (July-2014) E-mail: massali@ecae.ac.ae The Nature of Educational Inquiry: Is One Approach Better? Mouna Abou-Assali Emirates College for Advanced Education, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Received 21 March 2014, Revised 3 April 2014, Accepted 20 June 2014, Published 1 July 2014 Abstract: This paper defines the epistemological and ontological assumptions underpinning the two most common research paradigms: the scientific and interpretive; in relation to their methodology and methods. It will also shed light on the third recent approach; namely the critical paradigm. A description of the two methods of data collection corresponding to those paradigms is provided. The conclusion section will end with a discussion about the quality of educational research. This paper might be of help to novice and EFL/ESL researchers who wish to conduct research studies in their areas of expertise. Keywords: ontology, epistemology, paradigm, positivism, Interpretivism, educational research. 1. INTRODUCTION Educational research is in constant search of new understandings and explorations of social phenomena. It is all about answering educational questions to strive for effective, valid and credible knowledge. These questions can be investigated utilizing a variety of methods and tools. They can also be viewed, perceived and interpreted differently by different researchers. Literature is lavish with definitions of “research”. To understand it, however, an inquirer has to go through and become familiar with them (Brown & Rodgers, 2002). Simply and basically, research is “a way of finding out answers to questions” (Mackey & Gass, 2005, P.1). Researchers in seeking answers to their questions come up with other questions that might be of interest to other researchers. Thus, research is a cyclical process that in most cases requires more investigations. It is a way of exploring and discovering truth (Cohen & Manion, 2007). This paper attempts to discuss in detail the two most common research paradigms: the scientific and interpretive; and refers in brief to the third recent approach; namely the critical paradigm. It will shed light on the components that underpin these paradigms and describe two methods of data collection corresponding to both of them. The paper will end with a discussion about the quality of educational research. 2. THE CONCEPT OF A RESEARCH PARADIGM Paradigms are sets of principles, views or beliefs that form our concepts of how the world we live in functions. Literature is replete with different definitions of a paradigm. Denzin & Lincoln (2000), for example, believe that paradigms are human constructs which comprise “a basic set of beliefs that guide action” (p.157), and deal with four main concepts; ethics, epistemology, ontology and methodology; the definition of each will follow this section. Creswell (1994) sees the “worldviews” or paradigms as “a general orientation about the world and the nature of research that a researcher holds” (p.6). Most researchers tend to classify educational research as qualitative or quantitative; justifying the way data is collected to serve the purpose of the research. It is also common to come across other classifications such as the positivist and interpretivist paradigms. One might not think, however, that research is limited to these two only. In other words, each paradigm has a wide variation in itself that makes it difficult within this paper to fully discuss them. For example, within the interpretive paradigm literature, you might find yourself involved with definitions of other approaches like phenomenology, ethno- methodology or case study. All of these different approaches are possible ways that researchers adopt in an attempt to comprehend the world and the phenomena, the truth, the facts and the patterns that prevail in it. To understand and explore these realities, however, scientists and researchers state three basic components that underpin a paradigm; ontology, epistemology and methodology. Knowing and being familiar with these terms for any researcher is a must. In the next section, a brief description of these components will be presented.