Research Around the World

For this week’s blog assignment I spent time learning about the Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU) or Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). I used the http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/major_reports.php website to learn about research that is happening in the field of early childhood around the world.

What are some of the current international research topics?

·         There were a number of research articles relating to Indigenous people of Africa. Some other topics included framework for orphans and vulnerable children in Ghana and involving fathers in early childhood development.

What surprising facts/insights/new ideas about early childhood did you gain from exploring this international early childhood website?

·         One study I read looked at both rural and urban early childhood development programs in Ghana. The focus was looking at why there were problems against successful implementation of early childhood education in Ghana. This study found that teachers of all levels had insufficient knowledge of child development. There was also inadequate supply of teaching materials and staff who were not trained well. While I didn’t know much about education in Ghana I was surprised to read this. Thankfully, studies such as this one are being conducted to help early childhood programs to improve.

What other noteworthy information did you find on this website?

·         I was surprised at how many scholarly articles I found on this website. These are great resources for anyone learning about international early childhood research.