USES OF HYPOTHESES IN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCHES

The educational researches may be classified into four types:

1. Experimental research,

2. Normative survey research,

3. Historical research, and

4. Complex casual research.

1. Hypotheses are indispensable for experimental researches. The experiments are conducted to collect empirical data to verify hypotheses. The experimental method or experimental designs are based on hypotheses. Hypotheses are the crucial aspects of such researches.

2. In normative survey research the investigator may or may not employ hypothetical type thinking, depending upon the purpose of the research study. Hypotheses are essential for analytical studies and there is little scope in descriptive type studies.

3. In historical research the purpose may be either to produce a faithful record of the past events irrespective of present day problem or to extend the experience with phenomena in the present to past in order to make the view of the phenomena. There is a little scope of hypotheses in historical research because hypothesis has the future reference and its verification on empirical data. Case study method has no scope for constructing hypotheses because it is developmental type study.

4. In complex casual research the hypotheses have important role in such investigations. These types of studies are conceptual in nature whereas historical are more factual in nature. Therefore formulation of hypothesis is a crucial step of this type of studies.