This
course has been very helpful towards my understanding of research. I have
learned so many things, but I will share some key concepts I have learned. One
would be how a newbie, like myself, could even define research. According to Mac Naughton, Rolfe, &
Siraj-Blatchford (2010) research is “a tool that helps us answer important
questions about early childhood. Research is about uncovering and enabling the
emergence of new understandings, insights and knowledge.” I also learned a numerous amount of new terms
that apply to research, such as, paradigms, quantitative and qualitative
approaches, quasi-experiments, and others that I was able to share my meanings
of the words in our weekly assignments. I now understand the amount of
background knowledge and use of thought processing it takes to conduct research,
as far as, planning, designing, and conducting research. Through the part 2
weekly assignments I was challenged to think of a research simulation, purpose
a question that could be tested, figure out who I would study, and what types
of methods and approaches I could use to validate my research study. I also
learned the importance of validating research because it makes the study more
solidified and also the importance of ethical concerns. A challenge I
encountered was really coming up with a research question that I felt could be
useful towards early childhood, but through personal and professional
reflection I chose to focus on socio-emotional skills. Another challenge for me
was trying to comprehend the vocabulary and learn how to apply it to the
coursework. Through course readings, teacher, and colleague support I managed
to push my way through. I have a greater appreciation for those early childhood
researchers after doing this course. I truly am grateful for studies past, present
and future because it takes a great deal of work, time, and support to provide
answers, insights, and new understandings to such a valuable field---early
childhood. Thanks again colleagues for your support along the way!!!
Reference
MacNaughton, G., Rolfe, S.A,
& Siraj-Blatchford, I. (2010). Doing
early childhood research:
International Perspectives on Theory and Practice (2nd ed). New York, NY:
McGraw Hill
Tierra,
ReplyDeleteI was also challenged by the vocabulary- how to use it in discussions and how to apply it to the research simulation. Research is really a tool that helps us understand early childhood at a deeper level, and allows us to truly do what's best for children and families. Thank you for providing perspectives that differed from mine throughout the course, it really helped to see things from another point of view. I wish you success in your Walden coursework and hope to see you in a future course!
Tierra,
ReplyDeleteIt has been a pleasure getting to know you better. We have learned how to find good research articles, and what to look for in terms of content. Many things go into research including the design, planning, data collection, and critical thinking; I am glad we had the opportunity to see it firsthand. I am glad we learned about research designs and data collection methods; this will be useful in our field of study. As you stated in your post, it is difficult learning about research vocabulary and applying it to the research simulation. We have all learned some vital things to help us over the course of our lives. This course was challenging in the beginning, but I am glad we were able to see how research surrounds our personal and professional lives; and how meaningful it is to progress in our careers. I hope to see you in a future course, have a good one.
Lah-Lah