ABSTRACT
In describing the current usage of the concept, education research is helpful to turn first to those research associations that make explicit declarations about the nature of educational research and its primary purpose. The American Educational Research Association describes education research as 'the scientific field of study that examines education and learning processes and the human attributes, interactions, organisations, and institutions that shape educational outcomes'. To get a better understanding of the concept, one should first thinks about the essential difference between 'finding out' and conducting research. Adopting a systematic approach requires that one thinks carefully about the design of the research. This involves the relationship between the research problem and the questions, the methods of data collection, and the ethics of the chosen approach. In addition to ensuring a systematic approach and making informed methodological and design choices, one of the cornerstones of research is the development of a theoretical framework.
