When I Think of Research...

 

 

 

Early Childhood Research

 

 

 

When I Think of Research...

            This Building Research Competency course has heightened my sense of awareness about why we do research and the various research designs that can be utilized   in the process.  I have often heard the phrase “the research says…” and have taken the research for granted without considering what methods were used or if the research process followed the ethical guidelines? I have discovered that there are many components involved in the research design and some researchers have taken advantage of impoverished people by not respecting their cultural beliefs, economic station in life, and their health and welfare.  Ethics should be the driving force of all research and the researcher must make sure that the research displays fairness and justice.

            My ideas have changed regarding doing research because before I took this course, I was more focused on conducting research from my point of view including having the power over the research and the participants.  After being enrolled in this course my focus has changed because now I am more inclusive of all participants that are involved in the study which includes the sharing of power and I have a better understanding of the qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods forms of research design.  The qualitative method focuses on human behavior, beliefs, and emotions which involve selecting an open-ended question to be researched and using various sampling methods to answer information that has not been predetermined (Mac Naughton, Rolfe, & Siraj-Blatchford, 2010).  Quantitative research involves collecting empirical data to prove a hypothesis or explain social phenomena (Mac Naughton, Rolfe, & Siraj-Blatchford, 2010).  The quantitative method also explores the relationship between variables.  Sometimes researchers have the desire to combine research data (quantitative and qualitative) which results in a mixed methods research design (Mac Naughton, Rolfe, & Siraj-Blatchford, 2010).

            I now realize how important research is to improving learning opportunities in the early childhood field and aiding to formulate effective curriculum because of the validation involving the research process.  Teachers need to be informed about what works in the classroom and research can provide the solutions to questions involving how children learn best.  The most challenging aspect for me regarding the research process is getting started and selecting a research topic and question.  I really had to ponder what research topic that I was passionate about because I believe that people perform best when they are passionate about a certain platform.  I have enjoyed the camaraderie and support of my colleagues doing this course and the insightful comments.  Some of my views have changed for the better because I opened up to others opinions which help me grow professionally and philosophically and I am grateful.

 

References

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

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

            Hill



Research Around the World

Early Childhood in Australia

 

     Early Childhood Australia (ECA) is an organization that was founded in 1938 at first as the “The Australian Association of Pre-School Child Development’.   The ECA advocates for young children, families, and professionals in the early childhood field.  There is a Code of Ethics posted on the website (http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org) which establishes a framework for ethical responsibilities for early childhood professionals.  The Ethical Code also gives children the power to participate in their own learning and social experiences. The Code of Ethics contains great values which are:

• Respect
• Democracy
• Honesty
• Integrity
• Justice
• Courage
• Inclusivity
• Social and cultural responsiveness
• Education

The Australasian Journal of Early Childhood (AJEC) that is found on this website is Australasia's foremost scholarly journal and the world's longest-running major journal within the early childhood field. There is a Research in Practice Series (RIPS) listed on this site that offers “hands-on” practical information for people who work in the early childhood field and for families.  These articles can be purchased from the website from an online catalogue.  I wanted to view the article “Respecting Diversity: Articulating early childhood practice” but there was a charge for all the articles in this particular series.  There are also various free articles pertaining to best practices and other early childhood research information.

I did not know that the ECA helped to establish numerous early childhood groups internationally.  ECA initiated and early childhood mental health initiative called KidsMatter.  The ECA created the first national early childhood conference back in 1939 and this organizations vision is very similar as our own NAYCE (National Association for the Education of Young children) that was founded in 1926.



Research that Benefits Children and Families—Uplifting Stories

Research that Benefits Children and Families—Uplifting Stories

            My ideal research would be to conduct research on improving the school experience for African American boys.  It would be action research provided in a culturally responsive classroom that would address different learning styles, the home environment, and teaching teachers to be culturally sensitive to the needs of African American boys.  This is essential because African American males are being lost at alarming rates because of high suspension rates beginning at the preschool age and being subjected to negative stereotypes by school personnel and society.

            By conducting this much needed research I would be able to demonstrate the best practices for successfully educating young African American boys.  Hopefully I would create a paradigm shift that would change the way that educators treat African American boys and this would stop the preschool to prison pipeline.  I envision one day that more of these boys would be academically equipped to attend college and be successful contributors to society.  When children are surrounded in a culturally responsive environment where they see positive images of themselves and have teachers that care and hold high expectations, then failure is not an option!

The Research Process

My experience so far with the research process has been a bit challenging because there are many steps to creating a research plan.  The planning chart has been helpful in dissecting the different components of the research process and understanding what each step entails.  There is very little difference between African American children and Caucasian children at birth, but something happens in early childhood that causes African American children to fall behind academically between the ages of two and five.  It is my goal in life to increase the academic achievement of minority children using effective strategies.  So I must first construct a list of questions to research on this matter for instance:

1.     How do young children learn?

2.     How does poverty affect learning?

3.     How to increase literacy skills in minority children?

4.     How does culturally responsive teaching affect minority children?

This topic is of interest to me because I have experience in teaching in urban school settings and I am very concerned about the academic learning gap.  I have also witnessed very young African American boys being putting out of classrooms at the early age of three because of behavior.  These boys are feeling isolated at such a young age and this does not help them to like school or want to achieve, so I feel that the curriculum needs to be changed to be culturally responsive.  I am still trying to formulate a research question that will capture my concerns.

 

The Research Process



International Early Childhood Field

Three consequences of learning about the international early childhood field are being able to compare and contrast educational systems, discovering the economic plight of poor children globally, and increasing awareness of what immigrant families have experienced before coming to the US.   I have learned a wealth of information from the UNESCO (United Nations educational, Scientific, and cultural organization) website because they focus on providing quality early childhood programs and this has inspired me to take a critical eye when observing early childhood programs and policies.  The Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) website provided a lot of information about how poor families struggle to survive in this country because of the lack of quality health care, housing, and quality education.  Not only did the CDF supply highly informative articles about the inequities of poor Black children and families but there was glaring statistical information to support the devastating stories.

All of this new information has impacted me greatly personally and professionally because I now have a better understanding of how the early childhood field is interconnected globally and I would like to create an international collaboration network to exchange ideas with other professionals in the field.  I have enjoyed learning from my classmates and imparting valuable information.  We can all learn from each other because the teaching career in the past was an isolating profession when teachers would just stay in the classroom and not communicate with other teachers to exchange information.  I am so much stronger and confident because of this learning experience and I plan to take this valuable information to the classroom and beyond.   

Early Care Website

 

 

 

I researched the UNESCO (United Nations educational, Scientific, and cultural organization) website (http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early) and discovered that this organization supports worldwide early learning programs that focus on the whole child which includes healthy nutrition and a stable quality learning environment.  The educational section of the website highlighted the need for equality and availability of quality education in many countries.  The next section focused on quality education and the importance of instilling nutrition in children and getting parents involved in early education before formal schooling begins.  Child-centered learning is encouraged and the appropriate learning materials must be provided.  Investment and financing is another area of concern this website addresses because many countries experience challenges to afford quality education programs.  Especially in developing countries, a choice has to be made to either feed or clothe the poor or to invest in universal early education.

This website raised my awareness of the advocacy measures that are being implemented globally for the educational rights for children.  All children deserve a meaningful quality education and even this organization realizes that when educating children it has to be viewed holistically.  We cannot be focused on just the academic needs for children but also the health and welfare of our children.  I now realize that many countries struggle with prioritizing universal early childhood education as well as the United States and this website has given me a better understanding of what our immigrant families have endured in their countries before arriving in the US.   Education is a priceless commodity and should be accessible to all children equally without economic biases.