Postpositivism and Postmodernism Term Paper

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Postpositivism vs. Postmodernism

Postpositivism

There are laws or theories that govern the world, and these need to be tested or verified and refined so that we can understand the world. Thus, in the scientific method, the accepted approach to research by post-postivists, an individual begins with a theory, collects data that either supports or refutes the theory, and then makes necessary revisions before additional tests are conducted (Creswell, 2003, pg. 7).

Creswell (2003, pg. 6) writes that the post-positivist assumptions have governed claims about what warrants knowledge. Referred to as the "scientific method" or as "doing research," post-positivism is known as quantitative research, positivist/post-positivist research and empirical science. Post-positivism refers to the thinking after positivism, challenging the traditional notion of the absolute truth of knowledge (Phillips & Burbules, 2000) and recognizing that we cannot be "positive" about our claims of knowledge when studying the behavior and actions of humans.

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Post-positivism reflects a deterministic philosophy in which causes probably determine effects or outcomes (Creswell, 2003, 7).

Philips and Burbles (2000) write that post-positivistic assumptions include:

1. Knowledge is conjectural (and anti-foundational); absolute truth can never be found. Thus, evidence established in research is always imperfect and fallible. It is for this reason that researchers do not prove hypotheses and instead indicate a failure to reject.

2. Research is the process of making claims and then refining or abandoning some of them for other claims more strongly warranted. Most quantitative research, for example, starts with the test of a theory.

3. Data, evidence, and rational considerations shape knowledge. In practice, the researcher collects information on instruments based on measures completed by the participants or by observations by the researcher.

4. Research seeks to develop relevant true statements, ones that can serve.....

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