RESEARCH ARTICLE Received: 8 January 2020 Accepted: 15 September 2020 Historical Evolution of Educational Research Published: 22 September 2020 Methodology in Iran 1 Associate Professor of Curriculum Studies, Malayer University, Iran (Corresponding 1 2 author). Ali Nouri , Mahmoud Mehr Mohammadi , Mohamad Sharif E-mail: [email protected] 3 4 Taherpour , Ali Asghar Khallaghi 2 Professor of Curriculum Studies, Tarbiat Modares University, Iran. Abstract: This study focuses on the significant lines of development E-mail: characterizing the history of educational research methodology in Iran. A [email protected] “historical case study” employed to collect, verify, and synthesize evidence 3Assistant Professor of Philosophy about the same as such appeared in the Quarterly Journal of Education. The of Education, Malayer University, Iran. results indicated that the educational research in Iran has experienced five, E-mail: distinct yet, overlapping and simultaneously operating historical moments. The [email protected] first is the pre-methodology (1919- 1985) stage, during which scholars carried 4Assistant Professor of Education, out their investigations without a distinct systematic scientific method. The Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University, Iran. second (1985- 1994) is a period of rising quantitative approach, during which E-mail: [email protected] quantitative methods were becoming central in the education field. The third (1995- 2004) is characterized by insistence on the monopoly of quantitative, How to cite this article during which educational and other social science researchers relied primarily Nouri Ali, Mahmoud Mehr on quantitative methods and statistical inference understood as a means to test Mohammadi, Mohamad Sharif Taherpour, Ali Asghar Khallaghi. the proposed hypotheses. The fourth (2005–2014), is a replacement stage (2020). Historical Evolution of started with the wave of qualitative taking over the traditional and provoked Educational Research Methodology in Iran, The the appearance of a new hegemony. The concern for quality stage (2015-2019) International Journal of is the fifth when the threat of losing credibility and leaving a relativistic Humanities (2020) Vol. 27 (4): (21-31). impression were considered by members of the research community. It is concluded that Iran’s educational research urgently requires mobilized and http://eijh.modares.ac.ir/article- 27-39758-en.html rationalized methodological pluralism with the ultimate goal of improving on existing pedagogical practices. Downloaded from eijh.modares.ac.ir at 11:11 IRST on Friday November 13th 2020 Keywords: Educational Research; Methodology; History of Education; Methodological Pluralism. Introduction From a general perspective, the history of “good words”, and “good deeds” education in Iran (Persia) is divided into two (Mehrmohammadi, 2014). According to the periods of pre- and post-Islamic education. The Zoroastrian religious teaching, all good Iranian (Persian) culture prior to Islam is said thoughts, words and deeds are results of to have had deep reverence and appreciation knowledge; and all ugly thoughts, words and for knowledge education, and innovation deeds are results of ignorance (Shekari- religiously influenced by a primary principle of Nayyeri, Tavousi, 2005). Hence, there were Zoroastrianism, e.g., “good conduct,” that various educational institutions emerged in could be achieved through “good thoughts”, response to the importance of knowledge and © Copyright© 2020, TMU Press. This open-access article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License which permits Share (copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format) and Adapt (remix, tran sform, and build upon the material) under the Attribution-NonCommercial terms. The International Journal of Humanities (2020) Vol. 27 (4): (21-31) 22 high value of education. The Academy of culture and civilization began in the late 15th Gondishapur (Camp of Shapur) was founded century (Nazeri, 2004). during Sassanid dynasty (224–651 AD) in the Concurrent with the development of the reign of Shapur I. It was the heir to scientific Western civilization, Iranians became and educational centers of Athens and acquainted with the West in the 19th century Alexandria and soon became well-known for during the Qajar era to become ready for its medical studies. The library of the academy transforming various political, social, was equipped with Greek, Roman and Hindi economic and cultural fields. If we consider the books in the field of philosophy, mathematics formation of the Qajar dynasty as the and, especially medicine and astronomy, beginning of the contemporary era in the which were translated into Farsi (Jafari Iranian history, the establishment of Dar ul- Dehaghi, 2005). According to the religious Funun institution can also be regarded as a tolerance existing at Academy of Gondishapur, turning point in the Iranian history of education Christian, Nestorian, Greek and Jewish (Fardanesh, 2009; Mosapoor, 2009; Lotfabadi, scientists were translating, and researching 2009). This institution is the first academia in together on philosophical and scientific ideas a western style in Iran established by Mirza of the East and the West (Radmanesh, 2005). Taqi Khan Amir-e Kabir (1806-1852) in 1851, Iran became an Islamic territory in the for the purpose of teaching and training experts seventh century. Submission to Islamic in different fields (Clawson and Rubin, 2005). teachings as sacred and revealed knowledge The establishment of Dar al-Funun was a worthy of trust, faithful commitment, and a turning point in the educational reform in Iran basis for interpretation and action in private that set the stepping stone of the contemporary and public spheres of life became accepted educational system (Ayman, 1974). (Mehrmohammadi, 2014). This acceptance While Haji Mirza Hasan Tabrizi (1851- could facilitate the emerging movement of 1944), known as Roshdieh, was an influential translation and scientific development founded educational reformist and among the first in the post-Islamic Iran. It was the result of the founders of new schools in Iran, Dar al-Funun influence of Islam's attention to the knowledge School, Tabriz School, Moshirieh Maktab, learning, the Muslims' familiarity with cultures Homayouni School, and military school of of their captured countries, the emergence of Tehran were established before Roshdieh in multicultural Islamic civilization, the rulers' Iran. However, all of these schools belonged to interest in knowledge, the rational the nobility and prominent state apparatus; and Downloaded from eijh.modares.ac.ir at 11:11 IRST on Friday November 13th 2020 understanding of Islam, and the religious in fact, Roshdieh established a school for the tolerance (Ayati, 1975). Muslims spent three public (Mozaffarmagham, 2009; Mosapoor, centuries (13th to 15th centuries) translating 2009). These attempts, in turn, led to the scientific, philosophical and literary works that establishment of the University of Tehran in were remained from other nations. They got 1934 by integrating already existing higher this huge human heritage from six languages: education institutions such as Dar ul-Funun Arabic, Syriac, Pahlavi (Farsi), Hindi, Latin (World Bank, 2009). After the establishment of and finally, especially Greek languages. It was the Tehran University, in 1947, the University leading to the scientific and philosophical of Tabriz and then in 1949, Shiraz University influence of thinkers such as Al-Farabi, were founded. In the following years, Avicenna, Averroes, and al-Razi on the universities of Mashhad (1956), Isfahan European scientific community during 12th and (1958), Ahvaz (1958), Tehran Polytechnic 13th centuries (Ibid). However, the period of School of Technology (1959), and National scientific and intellectual decline of Islamic University of Iran (1959) were founded. The International Journal of Humanities (2020) Vol. 27 (4): (21-31) 23 From the year 1962 onward, the number of a significant role in shaping man’s cultural life. higher educational institutions increased. The future developments of this institution During the early 1970s, graduate programs in depend, to a large extent, on the cognitive sciences were founded. The first MA and PhD abilities of educational researchers and the programs in “History and Philosophy of efficacy of their methods (Paya, 2007). By this Education” were established in the faculty of understanding, several studies have conducted education at the University of Tehran to examine the current situation of research respectively in 1973 and 1974. One year later, methodology in the Iranian educational in 1975, the second PhD program was context. For instance, Shabani Varaki (2005) established as well. Alimohamad Kradan, set out a study to examine the methodological Gholamhosein Sedighi, Gholamhosein issues of published research reports in Shokohi, Fereydon Bazergan, Hadi Sharifi, Khorasan province to provide a snapshot view and Shams Avari were the prominent names of the status of educational research behind these achievements (Sha'baani Varaki, methodology for policy makers as well as the & Mohammadi Jaabaki, 2009). interested scholars. This research revealed The Islamic Republic was founded in Iran serious problems with conducting the phase of in 1979 and Iranian universities were quantitative and qualitative methods as well as suspended for a while. New policies after the