Research is important to teacher education since teachers are supposed to be active practitioners who are reflective in their practice and able to use research ideas to find a solution to educational problems. Understanding the major research traditions is crucial in teacher education. It is important for teacher education students, especially those at the graduate level to understand issues of research. The purpose of this paper is an attempt to support students in teacher education programs to understand issues about research traditions and how they can be applied. The study examines the two major research traditions, which apply to teacher education and teaching and learning in general. Quantitative and qualitative approaches to research constitute major important paradigms in educational research, in terms of design and implementation. Research is either quantitative, qualitative, or a mixture of the two approaches. Either approach has its philosophical basis and corresponding designs and methods of implementation. Knowing the theoretical/philosophical basis of each approach as well as when and how to use them will enable graduate students in teacher education programs to understand and apply them appropriately to issues in teaching and learning.