Final Week of 6163

Tomorrow marks my last day of the course “Building Research Competency.” Thank you to all of my colleagues for your support and suggestions as I worked on my research study simulation. I really enjoyed this course!

A few questions from this week:

1.      What insights have you gained about research from taking this course?

From taking this course I now better understand ways to look for “quality” research. Some things I can do to see if a research paper is valid is look at the credentials of the researchers involved, compare research on similar topics and compare, and look to see which organizations (if any) are conducting or backing the research.

2.      In what ways have your ideas about the nature of doing research changed?

Before taking this course, the idea of conducting research was intimidating to me. Now that I have worked through each step through an 8 week long research simulation, I have a much better idea of what is involved in doing research. It has been very helpful to read a number of research papers along the way.

3.      What lessons about planning, designing, and conducting research in early childhood did you learn?

I learned a lot about ethical considerations to consider before designing research, especially when young children are involved. I read about informed consent, children and consent, confidentiality and privacy and cultural issues throughout this course. Decisions made when planning research studies should not be taken lightly.

4.      What were some of the challenges you encountered—and in what ways did you meet them?

When I first began designing my research study simulation, I found it challenging to decide if I was going to use qualitative or quantitative data for my study, because I found both methods beneficial. As I learned more about mixed-method research designed, I realized that using both methods would be the most beneficial for my study.

5.      What are some of the ways your perceptions of an early childhood professional have been modified as a result of this course?

I have been reminded about how important it is to use research to back up your educational philosophies. There are so many different perspective and beliefs about what is the “right way” to do things in the field of education. If you’re ever not sure, just look at what research says to make a well balanced decision. I have a great deal of respect for people who do research in the field of early childhood education.