When I Think of Research

This course has given me much insight about early childhood research. I have learned the two major research designs (qualitative & quantitative) and their characteristics. The biggest insight I have gained is making sure that children are involved in the entire research process. First, the researcher needs to explain the study in a way that the child can understand in order to gain their assent. The researcher should also allow the child participants to express their perspectives and ideas about the study. Prior to taking this course, I believed that researchers only needed the consent from the parents/guardians to include children in a research study. Now, I understand that it is unethical not to get the child's assent before including them in the study. I also learned how to formulate a research question so that it lends itself to becoming a hypothesis. Formulating a research question is one of the first steps in designing a study and the most important. From the research question, the researcher will state the hypothesis and choose the design that will help answer the question best. The research question must be focused and narrow to provide the foundation for a sound study.

This was a challenge for me because there are so many early childhood topics that interest me. My original research questions were broad and covered several topics. In order to overcome this challenge, I reflected on which topic inspired me the most. I thought about which topic I would like to spend months working on without getting bored. Thinking about the topics in that way helped me to formulate a research question that was narrow and focused.

This course has changed my perception of research and early childhood professionals as well. I once thought that research was reserved for scientists only, and that early childhood professionals were not equipped to conduct research studies. After taking this course, those thought have changed completely. Early childhood professionals are among the best candidates for conducting research related to the field because they know the field. Early childhood professionals know how to work with young children and what studies would benefit the field the most. More importantly, I would think that they would make the child participants the priority in their study and not the science. They would uphold the standards for ethical and equitable research because those practices are already crucial components of every sector in the early childhood field.

When done properly, early childhood research can be insightful and affect positive changes in the field. As early childhood professionals we should continue to support the work of researchers by offering our perspectives and participation when possible. I think that the best way I can contribute to early childhood research is by staying abreast of current studies and reflecting on how the findings can impact my classroom. Then, I can pass this knowledge on to others in the field.

Thank you to all my colleagues! I have learned so much from your posts during this course!!

Research Around The World (Early Childhood Australia)

The Early Childhood Australia website provides a wealth of information about the early childhood field. It gives current news on issues related to early childhood in Australia. The ECA has a Research in Practice series that highlights effective approaches to issues related to young children. Australia's current research topics are similar to those in America. Some of the topics include diversity, bullying, aggression, and effective classroom practices.

After exploring the website further, I realize that the issue of rating/assessing quality exists in Australia as well. The Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority has decided to award a Service of Excellence rating to early childhood programs in the country. But first, they must establish a list of criteria that would identify excellence and quality. I hope that in America we get to the point where there is a universal rating system that rates EC programs' quality. Furthermore, I hope that policy makers require all programs to meet the criteria. I am not sure if this will happen in Australia, but they have taken the first step just by developing a rating system.

Overall, I was impressed with the website and the ECA in general. They prove to be the voice for young children, their families, and EC professionals in Australia. They even welcome members to express their ideas and offer suggestions on issues and trends that they should highlight in the upcoming newsletters. What I like most about this website is that it is updated frequently and all the information and latest news is current. I would recommend this website to anyone who is involved with young children.

Early Childhood Australia website:

http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/

Research That Benefits Children and Families

As a infant, my younger sister had severe asthma. She had to go to the emergency room often to receive life saving care. Her pediatrician recommended that she be a part of a study at a local hospital that was testing a new medication for asthma. Participation included free supplies, medication, and close monitoring of my sister's physical health. She was required to perform various breathing tests and physicals twice a month until the age of twenty-one. All the participants were informed that one group would receive the medication and the other group would be taking a placebo.

This research process was a positive experience for my family. My sister's condition improved, and it helped my mother financially because all of the asthma medication and supplies were free. They also provided valuable information about how to prevent asthma attacks and proper treatment methods. Beyond the medical care, my family developed and maintained personal relationships with the researchers and their assistants. One of the women became a mentor to my sister. She encouraged her to maintain her grades and stay in school. Her and my sister still keep in touch today.

My sister no longer experiences the effects of asthma. In fact, her condition improved so much that everyone believed she was a part of the group who was taking the medication. So, it was hilarious when they found out that she had never taken the medicine. She was in the placebo group the whole time! This means that the care she was getting during the study was the cause of her condition improving. Personally, I believe that if it was not for this research study my sister would have had an unhealthy childhood plagued with severe asthma attacks. I am grateful that my mother consented to this research study, which positively effected my sister's health and well-being.

My Personal Research Journey

The topic I chose for my research simulation is the effects of bullying on young children. I chose this topic because I have seen recent reports about how bullying has caused young children to become depressed, and as a result, their grades drop. Some children even resort to committing suicide. It was once believed that bullying actually aided young children's development, making them more capable to handle adversity and build and maintain relationships with peers. While preparing my literature review, I found that bullying has no positive outcomes for the victims, bullies, and even their peers who are simply bystanders. Considering that bullying has no positive outcomes for children directly or indirectly involved, makes this topic an even more pressing matter. Hopefully, bringing attention to the effects of bullying on young children will make teachers aware of the importance of establishing a classroom community. Teachers should create an atmosphere that encourages kindness, acceptance, and carrying relationships among all their students.

So far, the research simulation process has been an informative and a positive experience. I have benefited the most from learning how to read research articles and how to evaluate electronic resources. Learning how to do these two things is critical to the research process because they enhance the validity and reliability of your research. They also help save time when organizing and reading information. The biggest insight I have gained at this point is how to find relevant literature. The required text explained that the first step is to determine important key terms to narrow down the search for articles on an electronic database. Another great suggestion for gathering more information was to attend a conference that addresses your topic.

Personally, I found that the Walden library databases were the best places to find reputable and relevant articles. Do you know any other websites that offer reputable research articles?

What insights have you gained from the research simulation process so far?

Final Blog: Consequences and Goals

Communicating with my international contact over the past few weeks has been very informative. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to learn about the early childhood field in France and compare it to America. Three consequences of learning about the international early childhood field for me are:

Intended Consequences

1. Understanding that I can gain knowledge about the field from other countries (Americans do not know everything)

2. Expanding my resources by establishing a relationship with an international contact

Unintended Consequence

1. Comparing other countries' early childhood education systems to America and making negative judgements based on those comparisons

My one goal for the field related to international awareness would be for EC professionals around the world to collaborate to improve the field by using the best methods, practices, and policies from each country. If we join forces and work together we can ensure that all children receive quality care and education.

Getting to Know Your International Contacts - Part 3

This week I discussed the teaching profession and how it is viewed in France with my international contact. He stated that in France you have to get a certificate from a college or the government to be a teacher. Once teachers receive their certificate, they do have to continue training. but the amount of training and classes you have to take depends on where you work. Jobs do not pay for additional training, and many teachers are challenged by working with special needs children because they have not been trained in that area.

For the most part, teachers are respected as professionals in France. In some places they are respected more than others. Teachers are viewed as civil servants like police officers. In France, young people take an exam and if they do well they are recruited to be teachers.

My international contact was kind enough to answer some personal questions about the teaching profession and his future in the EC field. He stated that his first professional goal is to always be his best. "I read on my own and learn on my own." In the near future he would like to travel and teach French in another country. He is even thinking about moving to America to teach French. He is still not quite sure what he wants to be doing in the field later on in life.

Surprisingly, teacher requirements in France seem to be similar in America! However, I wish we were respected more here because I agree with the people of France, we are civil servants. We serve our communities and society at large every day.

Sharing Web Resources (Cont.)

While exploring the Center for the Child Care Workforce website, I was intrigued by the Worthy Wages link (http://www.ccw.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=24&Itemid=53)

The Center for the Child Care Workforce (CCW) is all about raising awareness of issues surrounding equity and excellence as it relates to early childhood education. In an effort to raise awareness about early childhood educators around the country, the CCW has established the Worthy Wages Campaign. Early childhood professionals work together to advocate for improved compensation and work environments. The goal of the campaign is to increase accessibility and affordability to high-quality programs for diverse children and their families. The campaign originated in 1991 and has "provided resources and technical support, offered leadership training opportunities, and organized and annual retreats." From the campaign, the Worthy Wage Day was developed. Worthy Wage Day is recognized on May 1st. On this day, EC professionals in various communities raise awareness for worthy wages and its relationship to high quality care for young children. The CCW provides ideas for EC professionals to organize a Worthy Wage Day in their community if there is not already one. There is a link to the American Federation of Teachers website which has a Worthy Wage Day Toolkit (http://www.aft.org/yourwork/ece/wwdtoolkit/index.cfm). The toolkit gives a detailed explanation of activities and how to implement them. It also provides downloads to help plan the Worthy Wage Day event. The AFT welcomes other EC professionals to share their Worthy Wage Day stories on the website.

On the same website, there was an article about a Worthy Wage Day event held in Oregon. President of the ATF Loretta Johnson visited two child care centers in Portland, Oregon. Johnson talked about how EC educators are still not respected and underpaid despite the fact that they are the key to quality care for young children. She believes that in order to improve early childhood education we must improve the workforce by providing them with better pay, benefits, and better working conditions. "Johnson discussed how Head Start programs are crucial for children from low-income families because the achievement gap can start as early as 9 months old. And parents who work or want to pursue a college education need access to high quality care" (AFT, 2011).

This week my understanding of the importance of high quality teachers has been deepened. Teachers are the key to a high quality early childhood program because they are the ones in contact with the young children on a daily basis. Besides the family, teachers have the most influence on a young child's life. It only makes sense that with this much power, educators are well-trained and qualified to work with young children. To me, improving and enforcing teacher requirements is one of the first steps in ensuring that every child is enrolled in a high quality program.

Reference

American Federation of Teachers (2011). Johnson's oregon visit highlights work of early childhood workers. Retrieved from http://www.aft.org/newspubs/news/2011/042611oregon.cfm