The concept of “paradigm”. Interpretations, solutions and its inefficiency in educational research. Omnia incipit, iterum?

Abstract

Nowadays a great number of discussions arise about the concept of “paradigm” that, although in its birth and intention of use in modern science was not intended to be used in the field of social sciences, it is a certainty that today it is widely used in it, especially in the field of Pedagogy. In this way, it is common to hear researchers in the educational sphere speak and support positions about the so-called qualitative or quantitative paradigms without being aware that, behind them, an ideology and a way of interpreting and/or transforming the world that surrounds them; especially from the notion that a change of paradigm implies that everything starts again and that the previous contributions of the science in question should be denied. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to demystify the use of that term, at least in regards to the domains of educational research.