When I Think of Research...

Although it feels as if our class has just begun, we are already wrapping up yet another course. My course - Building Research Competencies - concludes with the following questions and answers.

*What insights have you gained about research from taking this course?
I think the biggest insight that I have gained throughout the course was that of research design. Prior to this course, I was unaware of the differences between qualitative and quantitative design (and mixed method). I am more familiar with when to use which design, also. For example, my research design requires an indefinite amount of data and results; therefore, I will be using a qualitative method. Designs requiring numbers and data that are measurable can be referred to as quantitative research.

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

I suppose that prior to the course, I viewed research as something that I did not really have any interest in because of its tedious nature. Although I still view it as quite intricate, along the way my idea of research has changed from a daunting task to one that can be performed somewhat easily when taken one step at a time. This course forced us to take things slowly, as well as in a sequential order. Performing research in this fashion makes it a much more manageable task.

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

As mentioned, research is a very intricate task. Throughout this course, I realized that each step of research must be thought through before even beginning to collect data. Although in some studies, researchers may have to stray from their original plan, for the most part, research must be well thought out and planned before continuing to the next step.

*What were some of the challenges you encountered—and in what ways did you meet them?

I think a main challenge that I faced through this simulation was that of being realistic about my participants and the results. Because research requires much planning beforehand, the researcher does not have a chance to "feel things out" so to speak. I believe that my data collection method (observation and interviews) and my participants (150 children and their parent) are reasonable; however, as I have not had any experience with this step, I am unsure if this would be suitable.

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

As an early childhood professional, I have realized that if I wanted to perform research, I would have an easier time finding participants than someone who did not have as many connections as I did (because of the parents, children, coworkers, etc. with whom I work in an education setting). Furthermore, the many people I know through school are strong supporters of researching in order to improve the quality of childcare and/or children's lives.

I want to thank you all for your insightful comments and feedback throughout our course together. Best wishes on future courses as well as all professional aspirations. I'm sure I'll be seeing many of you in future courses :)