Complexity in Education: Challenges and Possibilities for Quantitative Empirical Research

• In Event: Exploring Learning Processes and Assessment Through Complex Systems Theory

Abstract

While a range of quantitative research methods is currently available to address complexity questions, these methods are used only sparsely in education. This paper explores the potential of quantitative approaches to address important questions in educational policy from a complexity angle, focusing on the search for hidden determinism in time series data, the exploration of catastrophic transformations, and the study of self-organizing behavior through the observation and analysis of social interaction patterns. The strengths and limitations of each approach will be evaluated, as well as their ability to address the limitations of traditional approaches to educational research.

Author

• Matthijs Koopmans, Mercy College