Validity and Rigour
An account of Living Educational Theory Research consists of descriptions and explanations of the researcher's purposes, methodology, methods and outcomes.
Specific outcomes usually include claims:
- to have improved practice which enhances educational influence in learning
- to have advanced knowledge (epistemology)
All claims, of whatever sort, must be valid, in that:
- they are validated in the course of the research
- evidence for their validity is given the resulting account.
The validity of a claim is tested by applying standards of judgment to the claim. Within a research enquiry based on Living Educational Theory, standards of judgment are based on the researcher's values that evolve, emerge and are identified in the course of the research. Appropriate values-based standards of judgment are applied by the author to each claim (as a unit of appraisal) to test its validity.
Claims to have improved practice or to have advanced knowledge may also be publicly tested by means of validation groups. These groups usually include people who form an active part of the research enquiry, either as subjects of the research or as co-workers with the account's author.
Validation groups do not validate an author's claims by simply concurring with the claims made. A validation group should test an author's claims and the account should contain a summary of that testing (usually within a conversation / group meeting). A claim should be seen to emerge strengthened from such an interrogation (held within the collaborative community of practice that is engaged in the research).
Habermas's work is drawn on when testing the validity of the claims made.
Suggested Reading
Popper, K. (1975) The Logic of Scientific Discovery, London: Hutchinson & Co.
"Now I hold that scientific theories are never fully justifiable or verifiable, but that they are nevertheless testable. I shall therefore say that objectivity of scientific statements lies in the fact that they can be inter-subjectively tested... I have since generalized this formulation; for inter-subjective testing is merely a very important aspect of the more general idea of inter-subjective criticism, or in other words, of the idea of mutual rational control by critical discussion.” (Popper, 1975, p.44)
Habermas, J. (1976) Communication and the evolution of Society. London: Heinemann.
"The speaker must choose a comprehensible expression so that speaker and hearer can understand one another. The speaker must have the intention of communicating a true proposition (or a propositional content, the existential presuppositions of which are satisfied) so that the hearer can share the knowledge of the speaker. The speaker must want to express his intentions truthfully so that the hearer can believe the utterance of the speaker (can trust him). Finally, the speaker must choose an utterance that is right so that the hearer can accept the utterance and speaker and hearer can agree with one another in the utterance with respect to a recognized normative background. Moreover, communicative action can continue undisturbed only as long as participants suppose that the validity claims they reciprocally raise are justified." (Habermas, 1976, pp. 2-3)
The work of Winter's has been referred to with respect to issues of rigour
Winter, R. (1989) Learning from Experience. London: Falmer.
For an example of how Winter’s 6 principles of rigour can be applied to strengthening an explanation of educational influences in her own learning see pages 76-82 of http://www.actionresearch.net/writings/jack/cycle3.pdf. The 6 principles are those of reflective and dialectical critique, risk, collaborative resource, plural structure, theory practice and transformation.
Video
8-9 minutes Jack focuses on the issue of validity in claims to educational knowledge as individuals produce their living educational theories as explanations of their educational influence in learning. Jack emphasizes the importance of Michael Polanyi's and Jurgen Habermas' ideas in his own idea of how to strengthen the validity of explanations of educational influence.