EDUC 6163 wk. 8
- What
insights have you gained about research from taking this course?
- In
what ways have your ideas about the nature of doing research changed?
This course
showed me that research is complex. Not that I did not already know that, but
there are so many avenues of research. Quantitative vs. qualitative, different
forms of triangulation, and mixed method approach all show the vast array of ideas
that research encompasses. To narrow down your research and create a meaningful
and valid study can be quite difficult.
- What
lessons about planning, designing, and conducting research in early
childhood did you learn?
This course showed me that the
more perspectives the better! I think the idea of triangulation (various forms)
really hit home with me.
- What
were some of the challenges you encountered—and in what ways did you meet
them?
The biggest challenges I faced
throughout this course is modifying and creating a well written research
question. It can be very difficult to
narrow ones research idea down to one simple but encompassing question.
- What
are some of the ways your perceptions of an early childhood professional
have been modified as a result of this course?
I cannot say that my perception of
an early childhood professional has changed, but it has been affirmed that we
do not have easy tasks. We are all
conducting mini-research studies within our own classroom, sometimes more often
then what we realize. It is important to remember that what we are researching
and trying to figure out within our own classroom is real and important and we
cannot forget to look and reach out for help or information from others.
Hi Emily! I too leave this course with the realization of just how complex research is! I really came into this course without any context of what it would be like. I think this was good for me because I didn't have outside biases influencing my interactions with the course material. I also, agree too that this course taught me that we as EC professional do research everyday in our classrooms through observations of student growth and development in order to scaffold their learning. Thank too for always keep it "real" when you weren't sure if you answered a question correctly in our discussion post. That really helped me to see that I wasn't the only one scratching my head at times!
ReplyDeleteGood post Emily! I agree that research is a complex process. One has to be fully aware of the avenues in which research is combined. Mixed method was my favorite because you can combine several different techniques within your research and still be able to have a valid research. However, I agree with you that narrowing down your research in order to create validity is very difficult if one does not know what they are doing. I think narrowing down my research was indeed the most difficult challenge for me. This course has been very informative and has taught me a lot more when it comes to research!
ReplyDelete