Mysuru: Researchers must focus more on socially relevant research to be useful for the development of the society, said Dr. N.N. Prahallada, former faculty, Regional Institute of Education, RIE, NCERT, Mysuru.

He was addressing a group of faculty at the five-day Faculty Development Programme on the theme “Teaching, Research and Extension Education” at Vidyavardhaka First Grade College, Seshadri Iyer Road, here organised by  the Post-Graduate Department of Commerce, Vidyavardhaka FGC in collaboration with Vidyavardhaka Research Foundation and IQAC, in the P.M. Chikkaboraiah Auditorium on June 12.

Dr. Prahallada, while explaining about the research, said that the word research is derived from the Middle French “Recherche”, which means “to go about seeking” the truth. Research is an endeavour to find out new knowledge and therefore concerted efforts must be made to take up socially relevant research topics for the benefit of the Nation.  

Positivism and Post-Positivism are the two important research areas to be focused on by the researchers. Positivism prefers scientific quantitative research methods while Post-Positivists are critical realists who recognise that all observation is fallible and has error and that all theory is revisable. Most post-positivists are constructivists who believe that we can construct our view of the world based on our perceptions of it.  

He lamented that most of the research thesis brought out by different Universities in the country are just for securing doctoral degrees and are not serving the purpose of the country. Most of the thesis is confined to cold storage in libraries used seldom by a few research scholars.  

Dr. Prahallada called upon teachers to teach with confidence and also attend refresher courses to update their knowledge.

Dr. Mari Gowda,  Principal, Vidyavardhaka First Grade College and Dr. Ashwini, Course Coordinator and 40 teachers from UG and PG Departments were present.