Abstract:

Bhaskar [1] proposed and argued for critical realism in natural sciences. Other authors have extended Bhaskar’s [1] arguments to include the social sciences [2], and to attempt to translate his philosophical position into useful research methodologies that can compete with positivist, constructivist, and pragmatic research paradigms [3].

Critical realism describes both intransitive and transitive components of human knowledge. It proposes underlying structures and mechanisms in the Real Domain that exist independently of human observers and possess the potential to govern events occurring in the Actual Domain [1]. Events that can be experienced and investigated as phenomena by human observers form a subset that occupy the Empirical Domain where researchers normally operate [1]. For critical realists, this positivist stance is balanced by the constructivist element to knowledge. As research is also a social activity, it results in knowledge regarding external structures and mechanisms that is also undeniably socially constructed [1][2].

Critical realism [1][2] claims to provide a philosophical and research paradigm solution to conflicts in ontology, epistemology, and axiology when conducting mixed methods studies [3]. Further, some researchers have advocated adopting a critical realism approach for synthesising the contributions of quantitative and qualitative data collected in such investigations, even in hindsight [4]. This paper considers the adoption of a critical realism approach late in a research project. A mini thesis drew together nine research articles in the field of teacher training and education that were published in peer reviewed journals between 2013 and 2019. These formed part of a PhD by published works submission [5]. The application of a critical realism approach as a triangulation of mixed methods data and findings using stages described by Bygstad and Munkvold [6] was found to be useful in formulating a concluding model for a complex project. However, a major criticism of the approach is also considered: that the same conclusions would have been reached following other research paradigm methodologies.

References:
[1] Bhaskar, R., A Realist Theory of Science, London: Verso, 1997
[2] Archer, M., Bhaskar, R., Collier, A., Lawson, T. and Norrie, A., Critical Realism: Essential Readings, London: Routledge, 1998
[3] Danermark, B, Ekström, M. and Karlsson, J. Ch., Explaining Society: Critical Realism in the Social Sciences (2nd Edition), Routledge: London and New York, 2019
[4] Downward, P. and Mearman, A., “Retroduction as mixed-methods triangulation in economic research: reorienting economics into social science,” Cambridge Journal of Economics, vol. 2006, pp 1-23, 2006
[5] Tynan, R., A critical evaluation of criteria-based assessment of subject knowledge and other competencies of teachers in training, PhD by publication LJMU, 2022.

Keywords:

Critical realism, research paradigms, mixed methods, real domain, actual domain, empirical domain, mechanisms, structures, events, pre-service teacher training.