Towards a social science of the social: the contribution of praxeological research

Abstract

Educational research developed initially using the natural science model based on the positivist tradition. Education was then seen as an application of the positivist science thus produced. This research could predict some effects but not explain the processes through which these effects came about. This exclusively numerical representation of educational social reality led to oversimplifications. The natural sciences paradigm is not adequate to conduct research in social sciences since the object of the research is not an inert raw material. Pedagogical praxis as educational action ‘infused with’ theory, supported by a belief system and an ethical code needs an inquiry method that can take into account this complexity. Praxeological research in education has emerged recently as a powerful alternative for the change of pedagogical praxis, the transformation of educational contexts and the construction of empirical knowledge about complex educational realities. Praxeological research is inscribed in the movement of searching for a social science of the social.