This comparative study investigated the status and problems of educational research in the kingdoms of Saudi Arabia and Morocco. As background for the study, a review of literature was conducted relevant to educational research in fourteen advanced and nonadvanced countries, including the United States of America, France, and the United Kingdom, which have affected the trends of educational research in Saudi Arabia and Morocco.
The major issues examined by this dissertation were: (1) the status of educational research, (2) educational research facilities, (3) educational research finance, (4) educational researchers, (5) educational research centers, (6) university functions, (7) educational areas deserving priority for research, and (8) the resources most needed for educational research.
The data regarding these issues were gathered by interviews and a questionnaire. The interviews were conducted and the questionnaire was administered at two selected universities in Saudi Arabia and two in Morocco. A selected group of 27 administrators, teachers, and researchers were interviewed, while another selected group of 182 administrators, teachers, and researchers responded to the questionnaire. The data collected from the interviews were computed, tabulated, and narratively reported, while the chi-square and t tests were applied to the data gathered from the questionnaire.
This study found that educational research in both Saudi Arabia and Morocco suffers from a number of reported problems. In the forefront of those are: (1) lack of confidence in research, (2) insufficient research funds, (3) inadequate research facilities, (4) absence of an effective system for disseminating research findings, and (5) the lack of cooperation and coordination in the area of educational research. The most severe dilemma, as reported by the Saudi and Moroccan interviewees, was the lack of qualified and capable educational researchers.
