As this Walden University course in Building Research Competencies comes to an end, I realize that I have gained a plethora of knowledge about research. I learned how to read a research study without feeling overwhelmed. I learned that there are certain parts of the study that are more important to read than others. While I will always struggle with trying to read the vast amount of data results in a research study, I am grateful that I can turn to the discussion and conclusion sections of the study report to find out what it all really means without having to figure it out myself. I also realize that while there are many different things to think about regarding designing a research study, that this course has certainly introduced me to doing research, and how it can apply to our everyday lives. One thing I learned the most about these last eight weeks was about data triangulation- making sure there are multiple methods, multiple data sources, multiple researchers or multiple theories applied to interpreting the data, all to ensure that the data is complete and as detailed as possible, as well as ensuring that the data is valid and can be applied outside the realm of the study itself. I was challenged when designing my research simulation about how to ensure my data met the above criteria for triangulation, and was able to figure it out with the help of the resources Dr. Todd provided as well as by consulting our text. Ensuring my simulation also met equity considerations was also a challenge, and I hope my design has enough of these qualities to ensure it is as equitable(as described as justice and fairness) as possible. As an early childhood professional, I knew that keeping up with current research and implementing developmentally appropriate and current methods of teaching and learning are important for any professional. As a result of this course, I also learned that even an early childhood professional can conduct a research study on a small scale to obtain information that can help solve a problem or establish a connection between occurrences, all to improve the lives of the children and families we serve every day. I also want to take a moment to thank all of my colleagues for providing varied opinions and perspectives about the topics covered in this course, and showing me how to look at things differently. It is always better to examine an issue from more than one perspective, to gain the most information and make an informed decision. Thank you colleagues, and I hope that I see you again in future courses! Best of luck to you all!
Saturday, June 28, 2014
When I think of Research
As this Walden University course in Building Research Competencies comes to an end, I realize that I have gained a plethora of knowledge about research. I learned how to read a research study without feeling overwhelmed. I learned that there are certain parts of the study that are more important to read than others. While I will always struggle with trying to read the vast amount of data results in a research study, I am grateful that I can turn to the discussion and conclusion sections of the study report to find out what it all really means without having to figure it out myself. I also realize that while there are many different things to think about regarding designing a research study, that this course has certainly introduced me to doing research, and how it can apply to our everyday lives. One thing I learned the most about these last eight weeks was about data triangulation- making sure there are multiple methods, multiple data sources, multiple researchers or multiple theories applied to interpreting the data, all to ensure that the data is complete and as detailed as possible, as well as ensuring that the data is valid and can be applied outside the realm of the study itself. I was challenged when designing my research simulation about how to ensure my data met the above criteria for triangulation, and was able to figure it out with the help of the resources Dr. Todd provided as well as by consulting our text. Ensuring my simulation also met equity considerations was also a challenge, and I hope my design has enough of these qualities to ensure it is as equitable(as described as justice and fairness) as possible. As an early childhood professional, I knew that keeping up with current research and implementing developmentally appropriate and current methods of teaching and learning are important for any professional. As a result of this course, I also learned that even an early childhood professional can conduct a research study on a small scale to obtain information that can help solve a problem or establish a connection between occurrences, all to improve the lives of the children and families we serve every day. I also want to take a moment to thank all of my colleagues for providing varied opinions and perspectives about the topics covered in this course, and showing me how to look at things differently. It is always better to examine an issue from more than one perspective, to gain the most information and make an informed decision. Thank you colleagues, and I hope that I see you again in future courses! Best of luck to you all!
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Research around the World
For this assignment I chose to explore the European Early
Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA) website. Here's what I found.
What are
some of the current international research topics?
Like current
research in the United States, the research topics listed in the 2014 issues of
the journal published by this organization are related to literacy, science, professionalism in the field and ongoing
professional development, emotional development, and how to support children's
learning. Here are some of the titles of research studies published in the most
recent journal:
The multiliteracy development of a young trilingual child:
Four leading literacy activities from Birth to age six.
How often to Early Childhood Teachers teach science concepts?
Determinants of the frequency of science teaching in kindergarten.
Developing Professionalism through reflective practice and ongoing
professional development.
Consulting Young Children about barriers and supports to
learning
Education for Sustainable development in early childhood
education in Spain. Evolution, trends and proposals.
Children's meaning making of nature in an outdoor oriented and
democratic Swedish preschool practice.
Stress and caregiver sensitivity among child care staff in
Santiago, Chile
Further exploration of the first issue published in 2014
revealed additional research regarding play, social emotional development, mathematics
in kindergarten, improving individualized education programs for students with
autism, character development, and parent perceptions of quality in early
childhood education.
What surprising
facts/insights/new ideas about early childhood did you gain from exploring this
international early childhood website?
I was pleasantly surprised to learn that there are so many
professionals all over the world working to improve the lives and experiences
of young children and families. While a subscription is necessary to read the
full text of the articles provided, visitors to this website are able to read
the abstracts of each article. I was not surprised to read that parents often
overestimate the quality of early childhood education provided to their
children when compared to ratings of the same environments using the Early
Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R). I also noted that the
international community is looking to improve professionalism in the field, similar
to efforts being made across the U.S. Additionally, I also noted a focus in
involving children in assessing their own barriers and supports to learning,
laying the foundation for children to develop the skills necessary to say
(later in school) "Here's where I am stuck" or "Here's where I
do well, I need more things like this to help me learn better."
What
other noteworthy information did you find on this website?
I found that this organization has many similarities to our
own NAEYC. Like the NAEYC, EECERA is an independent organization that supports early childhood
professonals and encourages, supports and publishes multidiciplinary research. Like
the NAEYC, EECERA supports early childhood by promoting practices based on
current and past well known early childhood research theories, methods and
concepts that we know are developmentally appropriate. Finally, like the NAEYC,
EECERA hosts a conference that promotes networking among early childhood
professionals and connects teachers with researchers.
References
http://www.eecera.org
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