Postpositivistic Assumptions and Educational Research: Another View

This analysis attempts to look again at the major concepts of the "new philosophy of science " in terms of their relevance for educa-tional research. The argument is made that such concepts as underdetermination and incommensurability have limited ap-plicability to many areas of educational research. This is due to the fact that such terms are based on the existence of genuine theories as found in the natural sciences, and the requirements for such theories cannot be (presently) met in the human sciences. There is also the related problem of ambiguity on how these terms are to be applied exactly to the field of educational research. The analysis fur-ther contends that writers in this area have not dealt with the critical concept of indeterminacy. It is argued that of all the concepts of the new philosophy of science, this term has most promise for de-fining the direction of educational research. From one view, indeter-minacy may suggest even a greater degree of relativism; looked at from another angle, it is seen that indeterminacy is a means of struc-turing and fruitfully debating the purpose of educational research. Educational Researcher, Vol. 20, No. 4, pp. 2-8 H ow accurate is it to say that the so-called "new philosophy of science " has had any actual relevance for the study and practice of educational research? We raise this question because the postpositivistic arguments as to the meaning of what constitutes "real " scientific activity continue to be the focal point of much debate not only in th