Integration of Philosophical and Empirical Inquiry in Philosophy of Education and Educational Theory: An Integrative Review

Abstract The fields of philosophy of education and educational theory operate between two very different approaches: empirical and philosophical methodology. Combining them is not a simple task, and the fields still lack methodological self-awareness in their synthesis. This integrative review examines how empirical and philosophical inquiry have been combined and explicated in 19 research articles published in leading academic journals in the fields from 2020–2024. The data were analyzed using the following methods: qualitative content analysis, qualitative document analysis, and basic frequency analysis. The results indicate that there are three strategies for combining philosophical and empirical methods: (1) typically, empirical data is used to illustrate philosophical inquiry; (2) sometimes, empirical work serves as a starting point for philosophical discussion; and (3) sometimes, the two inquiries mutually enrich and complement each other. Furthermore, our findings reveal that the use of empirical methods, philosophical methods, and the integration of the two is often not comprehensively explicit within articles in the fields of educational philosophy and educational theory. Thus, the aim of this article is to support and encourage methodological advancement and critical reflection within the areas of the philosophy of education and educational theory.