1. The research object of educational science is educational existence and human learning. Educational existence includes educational phenomenon, educational process and educational theory.
The factors that affect education include objective conditions, personal subjective psychological factors and social factors between people. Because we can't directly observe people's inner world like natural science, nor can we carry out research activities under the condition of effectively controlling or isolating some related conditions and influencing factors like natural science.
The heterogeneity of education also causes great difficulties for research. Natural scientists can draw universal laws from the study of a drop of water or an object, while educational science cannot draw universally applicable conclusions from the study of a person or an organization. This means that educational research needs to take more samples, and the generalization scope of its research conclusions is seriously limited.
2. Education and scientific research are more influenced by personal factors.
For example, personal social status, political preference, cultural knowledge level, research ability, ideas, psychological characteristics, original experience, religious beliefs and so on. This refers not only to researchers, but also to subjects.
The important objects of educational research are not objective and unconscious objects, but people or groups with changeable ideas. In educational science research, the research subjects may intentionally or unintentionally conceal or change their true behaviors and attitudes. All these have had an inestimable impact on the reliability of educational research materials.
3. There are more uncertain factors in educational phenomenon, and its contingency and uniqueness are also greater.
Compared with nature, social changes and development are more rapid, and this development is basically not cyclical. Most historical events in education are unique and influenced by various accidental factors.
Because the conditions affecting social development are constantly changing and new factors affecting education are constantly emerging, it can be said that educational science cannot make long-term predictions like natural science.
For example, natural scientists can predict the exact date of the next appearance of Halley's comet, but no one can accurately predict the economic crisis or the outbreak of revolution. There are no eternal and universally applicable social laws in human society, and social laws are only applicable to certain historical periods and certain social conditions. This situation also exists in educational science.