What insights have you gained
about research from taking this course?
I was very nervous about taking
this class. I like to find answers through scholarly articles, but I never saw myself
wanting to do research on a large scale. I gained insight about the challenges
research including but not limited to design, consent, and equity. Learning
about all the different aspects and details of research made it clear that I am
not a person that wants to design a research project, but I like reading
them. I admire research professionals
In what ways have, your ideas
about the nature of doing research changed.
Research is more than just reading
what the early childhood philosophers say, it is about creating a question and
doing what it takes to find the answer. I used to think it was about reading
numerous articles and reports, I never thought about the process of creating
those reports.
However!!! I also discovered
how I am a researcher on a daily basis when I am learning about each child.
What lessons about planning,
designing, and conducting research in early childhood did you learn?
I learned that designing a
research project, putting it down on paper is challenging, and there are so
many avenues to find the answers. Through our text, I have found that there are
so many unexpected challenges that researchers must think fast on your feet,
and be willing to be reflexive through the process.
Through this course, I was
shocked to find the many different designs to conduct research. True
researchers find their topic and then find the best design that suits their
project whether it is qualitative, quantitative, or mixed.
What were some of the
challenges you encountered—and in what ways did you meet them? I had many
personal challenges in my life during this class and was unable to give it the
focus it deserved and needed. I honestly can say I probably did not get as much
out of this class as I wanted to or should have.
The content itself, I struggled
with grasping and understanding some of the topics. I often felt ignorant when
reading the material. I combated this by rereading the material numerous times,
and using the glossary..
What are some of the ways your
perceptions of an early childhood professional have been modified because of
this course?
My perception of an early
childhood professional has modified in that an early childhood professional is
also a researcher. We utilize steps in the research process on a daily basis
within the classroom. I really
appreciated the resources in how to read research; I feel that when I read
material I will understand it better.
Although I had a rough
semester, I am glad I was educated in research.
Thanks for sharing your experience with learning about research. I think it is important to know our own talents and interests, but it is also important to know our limitations. If designing a research project doesn't seem like something you'd like to do, that is definitely okay. I think it was still a valuable experience that taught us a lot. This course had a lot of content and many of the things we learned were new concepts to me. Kudos to you for completing the course and working through things that you found difficult. Good luck in your future courses!
ReplyDeleteResearch can be very challenging, especially in the areas you mentioned It's is cool when you can relate things that you see in a text book to real life. The fact that you recognized yourself as a researcher is one such instance. This was a challenging course for me too. I'm glad that even though you were facing your own challenges you stuck with this. I think that says a lot about you. Best of luck with everything. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteKarina
Hi Jocelyn,
ReplyDeleteI am glad to read that I was not the only one who entered this class with apprehension! I agree with your statement that early childhood professionals are also researchers. You are right, those who work with children are constantly conducting their own studies and using the research process in the classroom, even though they may not be at a very large scale. Also, like you, I am so thankful for the lesson on how to read research studies. I have spent so much time reading them the "wrong" way and I have gotten lost so many times. I am sorry to hear that you had a rough semester, but just think of how great it is that it is over and we made it through! Though this course was definitely not my favorite, I am grateful for all that I took away from it. Good luck to you in the future! I am sure I will see you in upcoming courses :)
Its been great having you as a classmate, and I am happy to know that I have not been the only one challenged by this course. I found that my lack of interest in research itself, and the demands of my family as well as my teaching created a very hard semester. I am thankful that I have learned so much and have gained a better understanding of research itself. Best of luck to you and the rest of my classmates, and hope to see you all again in our future classes.
ReplyDeleteHi Jocelyn,
ReplyDeleteI am so glad we made it through the class. I know I was as worried as you, when we started. I think I have learned how important it is to narrow down a research question, especially to make sure the question is not biased. I really struggled with that. I live in Colorado also. Do you get to go to any of the conventions in Denver? You said you were a Director of Montessori Schools. Do you feel this class will be helpful to you personally as a Director?
Best of luck to you on your journey as an Early Childhood Professional.
Diana