大數據時代促使人類社會發生巨大轉變，亦使得社會行為科學的研究取徑呈現嶄新面貌。大數據具有巨量性、多樣性、即時性、真實性與價值性五個特色，以及三項分析思維，分別是龐大資料分析能力、面對不求精準的雜亂資料、重相關而非難以捉摸的因果關係。大數據分析是經過演算法的統計處理，再經由資料採礦的分析方法，將大數據運用在各領域。其中，資料採礦的理念是為發現有意義的樣型或規則，從大量資料之中以自動或半自動的方式來探索和分析資料。本研究指出，大數據思維對教育研究將有三個層面的影響，分別是研究對象的選擇從樣本轉為母群體、研究資料蒐集方式與分析方法的改變，以及研究結果的解釋重相關非因果的思維。據此，研究者再以政策面、行政面與教學面分別說明大數據思維與資料採礦方法如何運用在教育研究中，最後再就資料蒐集、分析方法、研究倫理與結果詮釋等四個面向，說明未來教育研究運用大數據思維時應關切的課題。

Big data let human society occur tremendous changes. It also makes social behavior science research have new approaches. There are 5V’s of ‘Big Data”: Volume, Variety, Velocity, Veracity and Value. Big data is about three major shifts of mindset: 1. analyze vast amounts of data, 2. embrace data’s real-world messiness, and 3. correlations rather than elusive causality. Through statistical algorithms and data mining, big data can be applied to various fields. Data mining is to extract meaningful models or rules, with automatic or semiautomatic methods to explore and analyze vast amounts of data. We introduce three influences to education research: 1. using “N = all” in research, 2. changing methods to collect and analyze data, and 3. discussing more focus in correlations than causality. Furthermore, we illustrate how big data and data mining be used in education research according to policy, administration and teaching. We also discuss what topics education research should cares with big data by data collecting, analysis methods, research ethics, and results interpretation.