When I Think of Research

What insights have you gained about research from taking this course?                                  

The insights I have gained from taking this course is research “can make positive differences in the lives of children” (Mac Noughton, Rolfe, & Siraj-Blatchford, 2010, p. 4).  Qualitative research seeks to describe or understand, while quantitative research seeks also to explain (Mac Noughton, Rolfe, & Siraj-Blatchford, 2010).  Longitudinal research studies a sample over time.  Research should be conducted in a manner according to procedures accepted on ethical and professional grounds so that we can have confidence in the results.  Mac Noughton, Rolfe, & Siraj-Blatchford (2010) stated that quality research should be “ethical, purposeful, well-designed, transparent, contextualized, credible, careful, imaginative, and equitable” (p. 10).  In addition, I realized the importance of recognizing research as a tool, “as with all tools, it is simply a matter of learning how to use it” (Mac Noughton, Rolfe, & Siraj-Blatchford, 2010, p. 7).  I have also come to the understanding the researcher is in control of the research process.                                                                                                                              

In what ways have your ideas about the nature of doing research changed?                                           

I formerly thought of research as being done by scientists or being conducted only in clinical settings.  I now appreciate “that graduate early childhood practitioners can be researchers as well as informed consumers of the research of others” (Mac Noughton, Rolfe, & Siraj-Blatchford, 2010, p. 7).  I have learned that research is meant to describe what occurs without unduly influencing it.  It is intended to inform policy and professional practice and to benefit the participants, the researcher, the profession, and society (Mac Noughton, Rolfe, & Siraj-Blatchford, 2010).                                                                                                                                   

What lessons about planning, designing, and conducting research in early childhood did you learn?                                                                                                                                                    

I have learned there are a lot of possible research designs.  The major types were quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods.  There were overall considerations to research such as those mentioned above (p. 10).  Also research had to be planned so as to be “do-able”.  Also, self-reflexivity principles (Mac Noughton, Rolfe, & Siraj-Blatchford, 2010, p. 187) required me to look back on my design to analyze and modify it.                                                                               

What were some of the challenges you encountered—and in what ways did you meet them? During the course I would have an idea on what to research then I would get bogged down in the many design configurations and their details.   It would take me awhile to wade through multiple details to decide how to go about doing what I had in mind.  I sought input from the literature, the professor, or my colleagues in the class.  There were so many more considerations that just having a few research questions pop into my mind.  It was like having an idea for a vacation destination then having to complete months of detailed planning to actually carry out the trip.                                                                                                                                       

What are some of the ways your perceptions of an early childhood professional have been modified as a result of this course?                          

An early childhood professional must be an ethical and equitable (Mac Noughton, Rolfe, & Siraj-Blatchford, 2010) research-based practitioner.  We are in a position to make a positive impact in the lives of children through implementing quality research-based practices and principles.  Additionally, I was provided information on what constitutes quality research and how to determine what is reliable and valid.  Self-reflexivity must be practiced not only to analyze one’s own research and that of others, but to reflect on all of one’s professional endeavors.  Metacognitive activity similar to the weekly reflections assigned in the course is necessary to analyze, revise, and implement research or other professional activities.                   

I would like to thank Dr. Myers and my peers for the support that has been provided to me throughout this course.

References

Mac Naughton, G., Rolfe, S.A., & Siraj-Blatchford, I. (2010). Doing early childhood research: International perspectives on theory and practice (2^nd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Research around the World

            The website chosen for this blog assignment was the European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA).  Their latest journal's table of contents provided an overview of current international research topics.  These included societalisation, phonological awareness, the learning of socioeconomically disadvantaged children, transition, child/teacher relationships, facilitation in playgroups, access, lifelong learning, reluctant practitioners, professional culture, and professionalization (Kampmann, 2013).  The journal articles were often not limited to Europe.

            What surprising facts/insights/new ideas about early childhood did I gain from exploring this international early childhood website?  I learned that asylum-seeking mothers and early childhood education is a high-profile political issue in England although there has been little associated research (Whitmarsh, 2011).  The article's detailing of associated constructs and methodology implied a broadening of the field to meet the needs of that population.  Whitmarsh (2011) described how six asylum-seeking mothers handled early childhood education for their children.  That issue was the latest one that was viewable online without a subscription.  I tend to think of immigration in my cultural context but not asylum-seeking.  It was very surprising that the concept of home-school partnership is a western concept that is difficult if not impossible to translate into non-western contexts (Whitmarsh, 2011). 

            What other noteworthy information did I find on this website?   There were two links to partner organizations:  The Korea Institute of Child Care and Education (KICCE) and the Pacific Early Childhood Education Research Association (PECERA).  These organizations published their own journals and provided additional opportunities to broaden the early childhood education practitioner's horizons.

References

Kampmann, J. (2013). Societalisation of early childhood education and services. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 21(1), 1-4. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1350293X.2012.760335 Retrieved from http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/1350293X.2012.760335

Whitmarsh, J. (2011). Othered voices: asylum-seeking mothers and early years education. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 19(4), 535-551. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1350293X.2011.623540 Retrieved from http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1350293X.2011.623540#.UbPq7YzD85s

Research that Benefits Children and Families—Uplifting Stories

Sharing a positive example of research brings to mind the poliovirus vaccine.  When I was a small child I remember my parents’ fear of polio after a little girl I played with contracted the disease.  Polio was one of the most frightening public concerns of the early 1900s to the 1950s and it was most often associated with children although adults could become infected with the virus.  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012) “Polio is a crippling and potentially deadly infectious disease caused by a virus that spreads from person to person invading the brain and spinal cord and causing paralysis” (para. 1).                                                                                      

I can remember the school being filled with children and parents and a very long line as the vaccine was being distributed to the public.  There was the debate about the cube of sugar or the injection and my parents choose the injection for me—so, I received the killed Salk vaccine instead of the Sabin oral vaccine and I started to cry because I didn’t want the shot.  Both, vaccines are still being used throughout the world and polio has been all but eliminated in the United States.                                                                                                                                                        

Salk as a researcher realized since vaccines existed for diseases such as smallpox and understanding that a vaccine must be specially made for the polio virus that “the principles are the same: if your body is exposed to a very weak or small amount of the disease virus, it will produce antibodies, chemicals to resist and kill the virus” (Public Broadcasting System [PBS], 1998).  So, Salk began investigating the poliovirus.  Juskewitch, Tapia, and Windebank (2010, August) “The introduction of the Salk polio vaccine represents one of the most important events in translational science” (p. 5).  There were some serious consequences that resulted from the rapid “bench to bed translation” which was largely as an outcome of the widespread fear and hysteria associated with polio. (p.1).  The medical advance of the polio vaccine was life-altering for children of that time period.  More so than other inoculations the benefits of the polio vaccine were readily apparent as the transmission of the poliovirus had a very short incubation period between the “infection period and disease” (p. 5).  Scientific research continues today to be beneficial to society as new vaccinations are being developed, tested and provided to the public.  

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012). What is polio? Retrieved from http://www.cd.gov/polio/about/

Public Broadcasting System. (1998). People and discoveries: Salk produces polio vaccine 1952. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/dm52sa.html

Juskewitch, J. E., Tapia, C. J., & Windebank, A. J. (2010, August).  Lessons from the Salk polio vaccine: Methods for and risks of rapid translation. National Institutes of Health.        Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2928990/

Personal Research Journey

In considering the research simulation and the topic I chose to examine is concepts children have about death in regard to their age, understanding, cognitive abilities and personal experiences.  In narrowing the research to a specific subtopic I chose to focus on strategies to surviving loss and the grieving process for children.  The research will implement the ages and stage of development of the child in relation to their perception of death and key areas of developmental change that effect this understanding.  At first death seems to be an easy idea to grasp and define as simply as when a person is no longer alive.  Yet, when the word death is addressed it brings to mind different ideas and with these perceptions comes individual concepts and varying ways of perceiving death.  Dying, death, and the grief process are considerably more complex to understand than making the change from life to death.  The reality of death is especially difficult for children.                                                                                                                                                     

Even to me this seems to be a morbid topic to research.  The reason for choosing this topic is very personal having experienced immeasurable loss this last year.  Our family includes four grandchildren ranging in ages from nine years old to one year old that are dealing with the fear of dying and the grief process in individual ways.  Our family is very close and my 22 year old nephew was killed in a car accident along with his friend that was driving and texting.  One month later our lifelong next door neighbor passed away that was like their great-grandmother.  My sister-in-law and niece were driving to Kentucky to attend the funeral and were in a serious car accident.  My sister-in-law almost did not survive and is still recuperating.  In January, my youngest son was in a serious car accident and is very blessed to have lived.  He went in the river upside down underwater.  A young man fishing with his son swam inside the car holding my son’s head out of the water in an air pocket as his son forced the car door open.  Those that worked the accident do not know how he survived.  He had serious head and arm injuries and is now home and recuperating.  About a month ago my nine year old granddaughter’s friend that was also nine was killed in an all-terrain vehicle accident.  Professionally, a child that is in my classroom her father was murdered.  This has been a horrific year and there have been so many aspects of death and dying that is devastating for everyone involved.  “The facts about death and dying are among the most emotional and complex topics of childhood” (Slaughter & Griffiths, 2007, p. 525).  The children have been sheltered as much as possible but there has been no alternative but to address death, dying, and accidents and my granddaughters appear to have been the most traumatized.                                                                                                                                                               

I have found the research and simulation process a bit intimidating; but seeing it as a tool used to answer questions has helped ease some of the uncertainty and concern. I hope to come to a better understanding of the research process as I have already developed some knowledge—although still a novice.  If anyone has resources concerning my topic of research I would greatly appreciate any insight or advice received. 

References

Slaughter, V., & Griffiths, M. (2007). Death understanding and fear of death in young children. Clinical Child Psychology & Psychiatry, 12(4), 525-535. Retrieved from http://ccp.sagepub.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/content/12/4/525.full.pdf+html