ULOGA EMPIRIJSKIH ISTRAŽIVANJA I MJERNI INSTRUMENTI U ODGOJNO-OBRAZOVNIM ZNANOSTIMA
THE ROLE OF EMPIRICAL RESEARCH AND MEASUREMENT INSTRUMENTS IN EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES

Author(s): Darko Lončarić
Subject(s): Sociology of Education, Pedagogy
Published by: UNIVERZITET U SARAJEVU – PEDAGOŠKI FAKULTET
Keywords: Measurement in Education; Students; Children; Creativity; Self-regulation; Socioemotional development;
Summary/Abstract: The education policies and educational interventions should be based on proven models for which methodologically correct evaluation studies have been carried out. Educational workers are faced with numerous programs designed for preschool or school children supposedly contributing to the development of their motor, cognitive and socioemotional skills and characteristics. Only a few programs go through methodologically correct evaluation studies, and just a few of them connect the characteristics of a learning environment and teaching with key competences and learning outcomes in children.This situation is reflected in both scientific and professional publications. Preliminary analysis of the papers published in the field of educational sciences in Croatia indicate that number of empirically oriented papers is balancing the number of theoretical and review papers only in last several years. Empirical, quantitative studies are carried out mainly at the level of institutions, educators, teachers, or professional associates. Smaller number of studies collect information from children, and an even smaller number focus on verifying relations between activity at the institution, educator or teacher level with the effects of these activities on measurable learning outcomes in children. There are very few evaluation studies, and replication studies have not been found in initial review.The initiative for founding of the Laboratory for Learning and Teaching at the Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Rijeka is motivated by the need to support educational policies and interventions based on empirical evidence of their effectiveness („Evidencebased education“). Activities of the author and his associates on the original construction or translation and standardization of instruments intended to measure (a) socio-emotional wellbeing of pre-school children; (b) tests of graphomotor, pre-reading and pre-mathematic skills; (c) translation and standardization of EPoC test of potential creativity for preschool and school children; and (d) creation of battery of self-regulated learning components are presented. After a brief preliminary announcement with the initial results of the research review and presentation of selected measurement instruments, a conclusion was drawn on the importance of empirical approach and measurement in educational sciences and the need for international cooperation in adaptation, application and standardization of measuring instruments.

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