What insights have you gained about research
from taking this course?
I have gained a lot of valuable insights after
taking this course. I learned a lot of information that helped me
understand the research process in detail. I now have a better
understanding of how to select a
topic, how to formulate a research question and hypothesis, how to collect
data, how to analyze data, and most importantly how to ensure the study is
valid.
In what ways have your ideas about the nature
of doing research changed?
My ideas about research have changed a
lot. When I first started this course I thought it was going to be a
boring research class where you had to write a lot of papers. My
perception quickly changed after I learned how to effectively do research
without wasting a lot of time.
What lessons about planning, designing, and
conducting research in early childhood did you learn?
I have learned that when conducting research in
early childhood, the researcher should plan carefully to eliminate wasting
his/her time as well as the participants. The researcher should always use
credible sources to make sure the study will be valid. The researcher
should remain ethical at all times. This will help protect the children and
families during the research process. The researcher should also remain
transparent throughout the process. These key points will help ensure the
success of the overall study.
What were some of the challenges you
encountered—and in what ways did you meet them?
The greatest challenge that I encountered
during this course was narrowing down a research topic. I originally
chose autism which is a very broad topic. I had to narrow down to very
specific subtopics that could be researched in a reasonable time frame. I
was able to overcome this challenge by reading through some articles that were
related to my topic, and I had to decide what information I wanted to learn
from the study.
What are some of the ways your perceptions of
an early childhood professional have been modified as a result of this course?
My perception of
early childhood professionals who perform research has changed
tremendously. Those researchers deserve a lot of credit for the work they
do. They spend countless hours doing the research and analyzing the data.
That can be time consuming which means they are probably away from their family
a lot. It takes a special kind of person to be a researcher because you
truly have to be dedicated to the area of study to make sure the study goes
smoothly.
