I have learned a great deal about research through this
class. I had always thought of research
as something done my scientists in a lab somewhere or in a foreign country
studying a lost tribe of indigenous people.
It was exciting to do our own little mini research projects. Walking through each step of the project I
learned the different ways that the design affects the outcome and which types
of studies are best for certain types of questions.
While the research project I designed was very simple and
compact, I learned that there were still a lot of steps to be taken and
information to be gained, even in a small project. I was very interested in the ethics behind
the research process. When you look at
the relationship between researcher and participant, you do see the power the
text talks about. I was impressed that
current research included people to strive for equity in that relationship.
The greatest challenge in my own research was validating the
results. In quantitative research
findings are subject to validation through man aspects, one aspect is
reductionism. This means breaking
everything down to its simplest form so that all of the terms used are
completely understood by all and the researchers are all able to get the same
results. Because my project was about
prosocial behavior, I needed to define exactly which behaviors would be used
for the purpose of this project.
I don’t know that my perception of early childhood
professionals has changed, however I now have a deeper understanding of how
research is used in our profession. I
also realize that there are many career opportunities for child development
professionals in the research field. I
don’t that is a path I personally will take, but you never know!
