concluding research

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

I have seen that there is a lot more to doing research than simply looking up some sources. There are methods and various ways of going about finding the information needed. I now know that in order to have a proper research study that one must have a clear and consice question in mind and be able to narrow it down in order to find the answers that are needed.

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

As I stated before i now know that there is a lot more needed than to read some papers. I know that the ways we have been taught make research a little easier than simply googling some answers. These methods we have been given allow us to narrow down the search and look at the answers from different points of view.

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

I know that there has to be a plan. Before I would simply look up some information and call it a day. Now I have the understanding that in order to have all the information needed I need a game plan and an idea of how I want the research findings to turn out. I can see now that the process of studying someone or a group of people is a little more complicated than just watching and writting some notes. The more detailed you are with your observations or interviews the more likely it is that the research will be seen as valid.

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

Finding the information in general for my topic was difficult. I had to learn how to word the question to get the information I was looking for. It was not as simple as asking what color do children like the most. It was a process of using the correct words and in the correct order to get the information I needed.

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

I can see that it takes a lot more than some schooling or just liking kids to be in the field and truly know what is going on and why it is happening. I can see that it takes more effort on the part of the professional to stay up on what they need to know about children and how they function and learn.