When I Think of Research…

The insights I have learned about research is there is a process researchers go through to research a topic of choice, that’s an interest for them, they would like other professionals to learn and understand the importance of the topic being studied.  All the hard work researchers put into creating their research simulation, by deciding which research design (qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods) will best support the conclusion of their research question. The researchers need to gain consent for all their participants from all those that are needed for the research simulation.  Being an early childhood teacher, I looked at researcher for help and support with the students in my classroom, to offer them extra guidance and support for their growing development. Viewing research in a fashion of breaking it down and trying to set up my very own research simulation, is an overwhelming process that I’m not quite sure I will be participating in my future in the early childhood field. I enjoy teaching and plan to teach for as long as I can, supporting and guiding young children build their confident and development through interactions and play. My ideas about the nature of doing research changed or not, well I don’t have any ambition to go into research for the field of early childhood at this time in my career. As time go on in my career in the early childhood field, I might want to take the next step and go into research for the field. The topic of my research simulation is a topic many families and early childhood teachers and other professionals new ideas, techniques, and strategies to use with young children and the importance of young children’s social-emotional development.

The lessons I learned about planning of a research simulation, it takes time to plan, design, and conduct a research simulation. The planning of the research simulation is deciding a topic, forming a question, creating subtopic questions, and the importance and benefit of the topic for others in the early childhood field. The process of design is knowing the research question and what the researcher is looking for as results in conclude their findings. The researcher has to know what approaches they will use for their research simulation; quantitative, qualitative, or the mixed methods. They need to work out their variables, participates, the ethics, the sampling process, the way of collecting data from the research. Once the design of the research simulation is complete the researcher is able to start conducting the research sampling process to achieve the data needed to be analyzed for the results and conclusion of the topic the research simulation is making for the contribution into the early childhood field for young children and their families.

I think the most challenging part for myself was understanding and knowing from my research question what the independent and dependent variables are for the research simulation to begin the start of the study. As a researcher, the variables and sampling process is the most important part of the research, without this information the researcher wouldn't be able to collect any data as evidence to analyze for the conclusion of the purpose of the research simulation. The independent and dependent variables, the sampling process this the heart of the research simulation. It is what helps the researcher know where and how to achieve the evidence and the best ways to analyze the collected data retrieved from the research study. Now I have a better understanding of my independent and dependent variables, along with my sampling process, I feel confident as a researcher to fully conduct my research simulation and start collecting data on the effective strategies early childhood teachers can use to support toddlers social-emotional development in the classroom.

My perceptions of an early childhood professional, I give them credit for all the hard work and effort they have when putting together a research simulation on a topic of interest and importance of the early childhood field on children’s development. Having the consent and sampling process ready to begin the research study, gives them power to follow through with the main purpose of contribution to the early childhood field to keep professionals up-to-date in the field of early childhood and their development.

I want to thank my Professor and all my colleagues for helping my way through this class and gaining all the knowledge I have about research and research process, researchers go through to share their conclusions with families, teachers, and other early childhood professionals in the early childhood field.  The questions, extended thoughts and ideas on various topics about research and the research process has helped me to understand there is more to research and the research process then this class. So much goes into the process and the time, effort, and dedication at sharing the results with those it will most benefit in the long. Those young children and their families, including the early childhood teachers and professionals that want to see the success and share in the success.  Thank you!!

Reference:

Mac Naughton, G., Rolfe, S. A., & Siraj-Blatchford, J. (2010). Doing early childhood research:

International perspectives on theory and practice (2^nd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.