From taking this course I have realized that research is very detail-oriented and takes a lot of planning. There are a lot of ethical considerations that should be made (Mac Naughton, Rolfe, & Siraj-Blatchford, 2010). The mixed method approach involves qualitative and quantitative methods (Johnson, Onwuegbuzie, & Turner, 2007). It is very important to narrow down your topic and be specific in what you are researching (Mac Naughton et al., 2010).
My ideas about the nature of doing research has changed. I used to associate research with always being in a library and or a lab for hours. Though this is sometimes the case, it is not always so. Observations in natural settings can be a part of research, so too can interviews, questionnaires and surveys. There are other ways to obtain background information for research than just reading things in a library or online. I have also realized that research is not static as I once thought it to be but it can be very dynamic.
In early childhood during the planning stages of a research it is important to consider ethical issues and have an ethical committee review your research outline. Even though parents may consent to their child participating in a study, the child’s consent should be obtained too. Planning is time consuming but it is important if you want to carry out a successful research. Research should be designed and conducted in a way that avoids bias as much as possible and that allows participants to express themselves in a way that they feel comfortable. This is especially true for children who may need to express themselves in different ways to fully articulate their ideas. As a researcher one needs to remain open-minded and flexible while designing and conducting research, in case a particular method is not working and you need to switch to something else. The participants may bring certain issues to light which may enhance the research and or take it in a slightly different direction than originally planned.
I encountered challenges in the way I worded my research question and in understanding some of the material concerning research. In order to overcome these challenges I was more specific in my research question and I defined concepts, included in the research question, as they pertained to my research. To gain a better understanding of the material I read it more than once and also read outside sources.
Through this course I have realized that many early childhood professionals are researchers in their own rights. Many “experiment” with different methods of teaching to see which will be most beneficial to their students. Many teachers observe their students in different situations and use these observations to implement strategies that help their students to improve.
Reference:
Johnson, R. B., Onwuegbuzie, A.J., & Turner, L. A. (2007). Toward a definition of mixed methods research. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 1(2), 112–133. Retrieved from the Walden Library using the SAGE Premier 2010 database.
Mac Naughton, 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.
