When I think of research...

When I think of research... I think WOW! Who knew it involved so much detail?  I feel like I've been "awakened" in the realm of research after this class.  I used to think of research as finding out as much as I could on a topic.  After all, that's all it was back in high school.  Through this course, I now have new insights into the research process and I have a much better understanding of all that needs to be considered.

In designing a research study, one must consider the participants, the methods and data to be used, the variables, bias and cultural issues, ethical considerations, challenges and validity.  Consent should be given by all participants including children.  Relationships should be established ahead of time, if possible, to build trust.  This will help ensure accurate data.  Challenges will always be a part of the research process. There may be challenges in finding a sample that is representative of a population.  Another challenge that may be unforeseen are the extraneous variables.  While we can try to prepare for such occurrences, they just can't be predicted.

Early childhood professionals are excellent candidates for researchers as we are trained in many of the same respects.  We follow a code of ethical conduct and always look out for the best interest of the children.  Researchers, like ECE, need to be caring, trustworthy, and genuine if they are to get optimal results from their work.

I would like to thank all of my colleagues and my instructor for the continued words of encouragement, the thoughtful feedback, and the new insights they have given me throughout this course.  It has been a wonderful experience and I hope I have helped you all as much as you have helped me!  Good luck to all of you and may we meet again soon!

Lynn

 

Research Around The World

 

 

Early Childhood Australia is an international website dedicated to early childhood and can be found at http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/

 

There are several current research topics on this website.  In fact, there is a tab for the Research in Practice series (RIP).  Some of the titles in this series are:

 

INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH TOPICS:

 

Reflection as a tool for quality: Working in the National Quality Standard

'Stories from the Heart' Connecting children and families with out Earth

Stars are made of glass:  Children as capable and creative communicators

Partnerships: Working together in early childhood settings

Dealing with bullying together:  Prevention and resolution

Respecting diversity: Articulating early childhood practice

Nurturing the spiritual child: Compassion, connection and a sense of self

Respecting diversity: Articulating early childhood practice

Children's resilience: Working with the Early Years Learning Framework

Learning and teaching through play

Stars are made of glass: Children as capable and creative communicators

Other research topics can be found in the numerous articles available.  International perspective on regulated family day care systems (April 12, 2013), recycling and sustainability, challenges of diversity and dissensus, and children's rights were all topics in the current articles. SURPRISING: One thing that surprised me was a link at the bottom of the home page which is a currency converter so that you can see prices in your own currency. Another surprise was a media alert dated March 19, 2013.  It was an announcement of a $300 million investment to fund wage increases for ECE workers from the federal government.  Yes, you heard correctly.  Here is a quote from the article:

March – Media Release – Wages investment supports quality early learning MEDIA ALERT Tuesday 19 March 2013 “An essential part of providing a positive early learning experience for children is having qualified educators who can lead a play based curriculum that supports children in their learning and improving educational outcomes. “But without sufficient wage increases it is difficult for services to attract qualified educators.”

NOTEWORTHY:

The website has a book for sale titled, The little red  yellow black book which is written from an indigenous point of view and is an introduction to indigenous Australia.  It's purpose is to gain understanding and respect of the cultures and includes everything from art and theatre to sports, education, and governance and history.