Alice Guynn said...

I would like to thank all of my classmates. I have learned so much from our discussion. I have truly enjoyed this class. I am so excited to write my research paper. I pray that you all have a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year.

Alice

When I Think of Research...

The insights that I have gained in this class about research is that quality research is always ethical, purposeful, well designed, transparent, contextualized, credible, careful, Imaginative and equitable. Also that there are different types of research and terms such as Quantitative research which produces facts and figures, Qualitative research produces meanings and understandings, Deductive research proves or disprove a hypothesis, and Inductive research may suggest a hypothesis. I also learned there are four ways to gather data for your study 1) data triangulation: the use of a variety of data sources in a study, 2) Methodological triangulation: the use of multiple methods to study a single problem, 3) investigator triangulation: the use of several researchers, and 4) theory triangulation: the use of multiple perspectives to interpret a single set of data. And finally Equity is very important when putting together a study it state in our text that an understanding of equity involves notions of justice and fairness, it goes on to say that it moves beyond equality, as equality signals understanding of party, equivalence and making things equal, which do not necessarily equate with justice and fairness. In order to be just and fair, it is necessary to move beyond making things equal.

The ways my ideas about the nature of doing research changed when I learned more about methodological triangulation methods using three different ways to gather my data for my study help me reassure that I would get enough information to get the results I needed for my study.

What lessons about planning, designing, and conducting research in early childhood did I learn was to make sure when planning make sure that the validity is the process of establishing the “truth” of the research outcomes, Methodological triangulation will be the method I will use to gather my data for my study and making sure that everything is ethical, purposeful, well designed, transparent, contextualized, credible, careful, Imaginative and equitable.

Some of the challenges I encountered—and in what ways did I meet them were, one I am dyslexic so I had to read over and over again to make sure I was understanding the reading. I also communicated with Dr. Davis making sure I was on the right task. Some of the challenges I think I will encounter with my study is parent participation.  

Some of the ways my perceptions of an early childhood professional have been modified as a result of this course is that I feel with this type of research early childhood is going to be taken more serious. The more research we have the more we will be come professionals and not baby-sitters.

Research Around the World

The international web site I chose to visit was the Early Childhood Australia web site http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/ it had many topics such as Environments for Belonging, Being and Becoming, Part One: Setting the scene for learning, Part Two: Talking with families about early childhood practice, Part Three: Providing space and time for extending periods of play, and Part Four: Thinking about environments for a sustainable future. The surprising facts/insights/and new ideas about early childhood I gain form exploring this international early childhood website is that the child activists in Australia are conquering the same issues we are conquering here in the United States. My focus was on the first topic Environments for Belonging, Being, and Becoming. This video was center around three advocates discussing how the environment in which children attend school is important to the children as well as the teachers. They discussed how change is not good for the children. They felt the children feel safe when they can come to a place were they know where everything is. Their classroom is where they have a steady routine and sometimes changing their routine can sometime become uncomfortable for the children. They when on the say that we gauge children interest by change so sometime change can be good. It was suggested that change should happen slowly or even involve the children when changing their classroom. I myself have experience this same topic in my own classroom and I know that involving the children when changing the classroom around is very helpful, not only do you get the help from the children but you can use their ideals. I was nice to hear that child activists that live on the other side of the world with the same issues.