Evaluating Teachers’ Knowledge of and Attitudes towards Educational Research

This study employed a survey design to assess elementary teachers, knowledge of and attitudes towards educational research. Among all the primary school teachers of Malayer, 169 people were selected through cluster random sampling. A researcher-made test (45 questions) was designed and administrated to assess teachers' knowledge of research methodology with σ = 0.68 and an attitude scale (19 items) was used for evaluating of teachers' beliefs and attitudes towards educational research with σ = 0.82. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation) and the research hypotheses were tested by chi-square and Friedman tests. According to the results, although the level of teachers' knowledge of educational research is weak and poor, but their attitude towards the importance of educational research is in the average level. From the perspective of teachers in the study, teachers' inadequate understanding of the nature and process of educational research and their lack of motivation and interest are among the main factors preventing teachers involved in research activities and studying the results of studies.