The insights I have gained about research from taking this course are the facts of importance of validity, having an independent and dependent variable, and having equity in research.
My ideas have changed about the nature of doing research by me learning the steps to take for conducting research. I always thought you just went out and collected data. I didn't realize that you needed an outline or a timetable for research. This was a new idea for me.
The lessons I learned are basically as I said in the previous statement. I learned that it was important to plan an outline and design how you will gather data, how you will select participants, who will participate, etc. This was all new for me. I just thought it was an issue to research and you went out and did what you had to do to find it. The timetable thing makes sense because if you drag it out for a long time, it could change results.
Some of the challenges I encountered were the aspect of remaining neutral and putting aside biases. When you come into a research topic, you kind of start thinking about how you feel about the subject or what your take is on it. I faced these challenges by reminding myself the research hadn't been conducted yet, so I needed to put the opinions to the back of my head and concentrate on the facts that I gather. This is easier said than done. Way easier said than done!
My perceptions of an EC professional have been modified by raising the awareness of the importance of our profession to children. It also raised awareness of the importance of our future. We have an amazing task ahead of us that requires us to be dedicated to the children of today,because tomorrow they are our future. Research is something that is really needed to ensure that we offer our children the best opportunities possible. Research is also important to the fact that we need to offer those opportunities in the best way available.
Susann it has been wonderful working with you... your responses to my post have always been helpful. I wish you the best in everything you do. We do have a great big task ahead of us.
ReplyDeleteSusann,
ReplyDeleteI truly enjoyed reading your blog it is always informative. In addition, your passion for early childhood education positively shines through your postings. I agree with you that research is not just about collecting data, methodology, as well as, ways to ensure validity are crucial considerations researchers need to take into account. I remember how we were all professing our lack of deep knowledge about research and we all coming out confident and hopeful not only about our newly acquired research skills but also about our field. It was a pleasure learning with you.
Susann,
ReplyDeleteI also didn't realize all the steps in conducting research. I just figured you went and collected data, then wrote a paper. There is much more to that. I have enjoyed working with you, and good luck to you in your future classes!
Shannon
Susann,
ReplyDeleteI agree that understanding our own bias when conducting research is very important. Remembering that other researchers may have inserted their bias into research is equally important, I will be looking for bias in research more carefully now! Thank you for sharing your enthusiasm during this course. Good luck in your future studies!
Susann,
ReplyDeleteAs ECE professionals, we may sometimes be biased towards certain subjects, especially if we have worked with children directly in classrooms. I do not think that this derives from being closed minded to other view points, its just that we see how many subjects are implicated everyday, such as dramatic play and socio-emotional development. Best of wishes in future endeavors.