The State of Educational Research in IER (1967-1998)

Abstract

Although IER started as an Educational Documentation Center by the Faculty of
Education in 1967, its pace of growth had been thwarted by the creators
themselves as evidenced by their lack of commitment and institutional support
after they created it (Yusuf, 1986). The. unfavorable and sometimes hostile
opinion of University authorities toward the Center, in particular, and toward the.
field of Education in general, has resulted in slowed down development of the
CenteI (Yusuf, 1983 ).
It was also very important to note that the field of Education had suffered dire
consequences in the hands of University authorities in the 1970s. In addition to
being less remunerative in the hierarchy of professions in the society, teacher
trainees in AAU were looked down upon by their student colleagues reflecting--
in part--the attitudes of some professors and, in turn, resulting in a failure to
attract academically competent candidates to the field of Education.
All these states of affairs had negatively impacted the development process of the
Faculty of Education and the Research Center ( now IER). Arising from lopsided
training-opportunities of University staff, the Institute had suffered from severe
shortage of trained researchers. Facilities and staffing of these institutions until
very recently were very inadequate. Many AAU academic staff had a problem of
internalizing the need for professionalization of teachers, a lack of vision. They
demonstrated distorted views of the requirements of Teacher Education
Programs. They viewed the field of education not from the vantage point of the
developmental nee.ds of the country, b·ut from the point of view of academic
parochialism and egoistic interests.