Scientific method and types of research

Educational research is disciplined inquiry: it asks a clear question, gathers evidence systematically, and lets the evidence answer. The scientific method is what separates research from opinion — it is replicable, precise, falsifiable and parsimonious. Worked example: a teacher who claims a new method works because one class did well has an anecdote; a researcher who compares two similar classes, one with the method and one without, and tests the difference, has the beginning of evidence.