Causal Inference

Kameshwara, K. and Gorman, E. Forthcoming. Causal Inference. in: Thomas, M., Jules, T., Shields, R. and Schweisfurth, M. (ed.) The Bloomsbury Handbook of Research Methods in Comparative and International Education Bloomsbury.

Chapter titleCausal Inference
AuthorsKameshwara, K. and Gorman, E.
EditorsThomas, M., Jules, T., Shields, R. and Schweisfurth, M.
Abstract

Any phenomenon in social sciences is characterized by a myriad of variables shaping the subject of study. Examining how variables change with respect to each other, detecting patterns of change or predicting them, constitutes valuable knowledge. However, for matters linked to policy, one of the key challenges would be to identify the factors that cause or drive the change in others. To unearth the potential causal link between different variables in the field of education or elsewhere, causal inference comes to rescue. Causal inference is not a particular method or a statistical tool but an experimental framework of research design that is useful in identifying causal relationship between variables of interest. This chapter takes you through the processes involved in arriving at causal inference through illustrations from the domain of education research.

KeywordsQuantitative methods, causality, educational outcomes, randomized control trials, experimental and quasi-experimental techniques, policy, grammar schools, teaching and learning, causal analysis.
Book titleThe Bloomsbury Handbook of Research Methods in Comparative and International Education
PublisherBloomsbury

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