Methodology

It comes from a podcast I listened to days before. The professor mentioned the term, "methodology of history". Actually, the questions come before that but the feeling of having the questions are not strong and clear. What is the methodology of education? Almost all of them come from social science. Are there a unique education research methodology?
This semester I took 641, one textbook is applied research design, the first chapter discussed the differences between basic research and applied research. Then I have the question, is any basic research within education research? Is there universal knowledge in education? I admit that knowledge has its own context like Newton's laws. There might not be universal knowledge in any field forever. However, it seems in education it more leaned to a solution to a specific question. It is possible that I have this feeling is because the field I am in -- instructional design. The two years training teaches me how to identify problems.
Chapter one also discussed differences in methods, this lead me to think about the question on methodology of education. It also brings me back to the discussion of whether education is science. I am taking a quantitative course in ESF now, everytime when I write the assignment it reminds me the differences between nature science and social science.
It is the first time that I feel I need to read some papers or books about education methodology so I can be more clear about my study.
It seems I am studying humans' behavior/performance, but I want to know their thoughts, "the interpsychological plane and the intrapsychological plane". Have no ideas how to do that. "Any method always goes with a theory", "Any method of research is a way to investigate some particular domain."
I can not state my problems clearly currently.