Study of Paradigm Change of Educational Administration Methodology: Positivism, Postpositivism, and Postmodernism

教育行政學興起於十九世紀末。本世紀初教育行政學處於規範時期，其理論與實踐皆以其他領域（管理學、行政學）之常識做為基礎。二次世界大戰後，以邏輯實證論為理念基礎的理論運動(theory movement)如火如荼地展開，其目的在建立系統性與普遍性的原理原則，並將行政中之主觀成分（價值、倫理）排除。1970年代開始，科學哲學中之後實證論觀點波及教育行政研究，使得其原有的方法論格局產生了極大的變化。尤其是Greenfield、Bates、Hodgkinson等人所提出的批判性觀點，使整個教育行政領域開始對行政科學化的方法論進行大幅度反省與修正，也造成教育行政方法論由原來的單一典範時期轉入多元典範時期。本研究之主要目的在於對教育行政方法論之典範變遷之歷史發展進行檢視，以進一步瞭解一些大型典範（包括實證論、後實證論、與後現代主義等）對教育行政理論發展影響之實際情形，並從各典範間之對話與爭辯中對當前教育行政研究發展上的問題加以論述與分析。研究過程採用了文獻分析法、歷史研究法與批判性觀點來達成研究目的。本研究之主要發現有以下幾點：一、實證典範至今仍然是教育行政研究最具影響力、最為普遍被使用的研究典範，多元典範的觀念尚有待進一步的推動與落實；二、雖然大部分學者抨擊邏輯實證論的科學化主張，但大致上同意其對教育行政理論發展有一定之貢獻；三、教育行政方法論的爭辯中，學者們偏向同意典範的多元並存而非相互替代；四、對於後現代主義方法論，教育行政學者多採取了保留的態度；五、教育行政研究範圍愈趨複雜而多元，研究方法則逐漸傾向於使用質化方法；六、教育行政學術發展有賴於專業團體的積極推動；七、過去的研究由於過份強調客觀性，忽視倫理與價值的研究面向；八、過去的教育行政理論忽略了技藝層面、以及理論與實務的結合；依以上之研究發現，本文提出以下建議做為台灣地區未來教育行政研究發展的參考：一、在方法論發展方面，研究者應多瞭解最新的方法論發展趨勢並相互接納不同觀點；二、在研究方法使用方面，應尊重不同方法的使用，避免再陷入一元主義的巢臼；三、在教育行政學術發展方面，應積極推動與發揮學術性組織的功能；四、關於理論發展的傳播方面，應定期舉辦關於教育行政學術的座談會，並落實學術刊物的定期發行；五、在研究資料與事務的整合上，應成立具全國性質的教育研究專責研究單位；六、在研究取向方面，應重視倫理、價值、與技藝層面的研究；七、在研究態度方面，應放棄彼此成見，注重國內外學術的交流；八、關於未來研究方面，研究者也提供了五點看法作為未來研究的參考。At the beginning of the 20th century, educational administration had just begun to emerge as a recognizable discipline and was therefore in a sort of "prescriptive era." After World War II, the theory movement which was based on the foundation of Logic Positivism started with great swiftness. The movement aimed to establish general and systematic rules for the administration practices, while excluding the subjective elements (values and ethics) of educational administration research. In 1970, the philosophy of science shifts to the postpositivism era and begins to rapidly influence the research of educational administration, thus greatly altering the original methodology. Greenfield, Bates, and Hodgkinson, the key scholars of this movement, criticize the scientific view, and hence influence educational administration methodology away from the dominant positivistic era and into the multi-paradigm era.The purpose of this study is to explore the historical development of paradigm shifts in educational administration methodology, and to explain how the paradigms (including positivism, postpositivism, and postmodernism) have influenced the theory development of education administration. Using the paradigm debates as a main source, this study will reveal the problematic issue of theory development of educational administration and then analyze the problematic issue of contemporarily studies in educational administration. The methods of this study consist primarily of documentary analysis, historical approach, as well as critical analysis.The major findings of this study include:1. Logic Positivism is still the most influential paradigm in educational administration research, the multi-paradigmatic view needs further enforcement.2. Most scholars confirm that the scientific view in fact does contribute to the theory development of educational administration.3. In contemporary paradigm debates, most scholars prefer theoretical pluralism to theory replacement.4. Postmodernism is still an underdeveloped concept in educational administration research.5. The range of research of educational administration has become more complicated, therefore leading to the growing popularity of the qualitative method.6. The improvement of studies in educational administration is dependent on the professional committee's push.7. The unavoidable dimensions of "values" and "ethics" have erroneously been neglected in previous research.8. The "craft" dimension of educational administration and the thought of the inability to link together theory and practice, have been widely neglected in previous research.Based upon the previous discussion and analysis, several recommendations for improving the development of educational administration in Taiwan are made:1. Latest methodological tendency should be known and different paradigms should be mutually adopted.2. Different research methods should be respected, thus avoiding falling into the single methodology trap again.3. Educational Administration professional organizations should come into effect and enforce the academic development.4. There is a need for academic conferences to be held periodically, as well as the publication of periodicals in order to broadcast the newest theory development.5. National College of Educational Research should be set up for data synthesis and the development of relevant research affairs.6. Dimensions of "ethics", "values", and "craft" should be emphasized on.7. National or international academic interaction should be encouraged and the biases of different groups should be eliminated.8. Four recommendations are made for further research