One insight I can say that I’ve gained from this course is that I don’t want to be a researcher for a career.  On a more serious note I’ve learned the importance of making sure the research focuses on the participant and their individual experiences. 

With the completion of this course I can say that I have more respect for those individuals who do research daily.  The course showed that there is a bigger picture than just reading articles, interviewing and reporting on data,  it’s looking for a result that can benefit others in the future (Mac Naughton, Rolfe, &Siraj-Blatchford, 2010). 

Research is a long process and not something that is completed over night.  The research in early childhood should be planned, designed and conducted to assist children in future programs. There should be a purpose behind the research. 

One challenge that I faced was developing a research question that was not bias to my influence and that could actually be researched.  The way I corrected this was to keep making changes as I learned more week by week.   

One of my perceptions regarding early childhood professionals has changed to a greater respect for the researchers who have explored numerous issues to assist educators in promoting a healthier environment for educating children.

References

Mac Naughton, G., Rolfe, S.A., & Siraj-Blatchford, I. (2010). Doing early childhood research: international perspectives on theory & practice. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

 

Research Around the World

For this assignment I selected to evaluate the early childhood Australia website.  http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au

This site provides valuable information.  During my review I found myself clicking from one site to the next exploring.  The articles that are posted from their Research in Practice Series are quite interesting and are current with information.  Some of the current international research topics are: The inside story: Looking into early childhood teachers’ support of children’s scientific learning; Early childhood teachers' misconceptions about mathematics education for young children in the United States; Outdoor play: Does avoiding the risks reduce the benefits?; plus many more articles.

There is a web link on the site that takes you to a Child & Family WebGuide offered from Tufts University.  The site offers valuable information for parents regarding education, child development, health, medical sites, and asks an Expert.  Each one of these areas has numerous topics that break down with information from various institutions. Four times a year this organization puts out a publication on a variety of research issues called the Research in Practice Series.  These articles are designed for easy implementation when working with early childhood.  I found myself intrigued with some of the articles.

The site offers parents not only in Australia but around the world an opportunity to purchase materials to assist them with preparing to send their child to school.  The organization offers a membership for individuals internationally as well.

Reference

http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au