大数据和教育研究:认识论和方法论的思考

Big Data and Educational Research: Reflections on Epistemology and Methodology

文章从认识论和方法论的视角,综合应用文献研究、归纳和演绎等方法 ,对大数据背景下的教育研究进行省思。研究发现:(1)认识论层面,教育大数据形成了一种前所未有的对客观教育世界的数据映射和表征形式,为教育研究提供了一种新的研究对象和认识对象,教育大数据和它所表征的客观教育事实并不一致,需要对二者进行认识分离;(2)方法论层面,基于大数据的教育研究更倾向于观察"自然和复杂"的数据环境,使用数据驱动的归纳推理思维和关系挖掘与分析方法,以预测未来和帮助理解教育的不确定性;(3)教育大数据能否形成一种新的教育研究范式,还面临如何应对认识论、方法论、数据处理和数据伦理等层面的挑战。

From the perspective of epistemology and methodology, this paper reflects educational researches in the context of big data through literature research, induction and deduction. The results indicate that：（1） from the viewpoint of epistemology, educational big data has formed an unprecedented form of data mapping and representation for the objective world of education, and provided a new research subject for educational research.But the educational big data is not consistent with the objective educational facts it represents, it is necessary to separate those two for better understanding;（2） On the methodological level, the educational research based on big data is more inclined to observe ＂natural and complex＂ data environment, using data-driven inductive reasoning thinking and relational mining and analysis to predict the future and help understand the uncertainty of education;（3） Whether educational big data can form a new kind of educational research paradigm, we are still facing how to deal with the challenges of epistemology, methodology, data processing and data ethics.