Educational Research

For more information on this program, contact Dr. Aaron Kuntz.

The goal of educational research is to improve the human condition through the careful study and representation of complex educational contexts. The Research Methodology Program at the University of Alabama prepares scholars to critically engage with educational research and evaluation, develop appropriate and innovative research designs, and contribute conceptually sound analyses to the overlapping fields of education, the social sciences, and the health sciences. Faculty design courses that link the multiple processes inherent in educational inquiry: conceptualization of research problems; development and application of trustworthy qualitative, quantitative, and evaluative methods; the analysis of data within the dynamic context of educational theory; and the communication of research findings to appropriate audiences. By foregrounding educational inquiry within our coursework and scholarship, we recognize that educational researchers need the ability to critically engage with the dynamic social processes that compose various learning environments, as well as to design the established and innovative research methods demanded by current educational contexts.

Our strength as a program extends from a collaborative faculty who remain dedicated to the development and application of dynamic research methodologies situated within contemporary conceptual frameworks. Programmatic faculty specialize in research traditions that extend from qualitative, quantitative, mixed-method, psychometric, and evaluative means of inquiry. For specific research interests and areas of expertise of our faculty, please see the faculty link on this page.