When I Think of Research...

 

Having taken a research course before, I was lucky enough to already have background knowledge in the methodology and vocabulary of the research world. However, as I am still new to the field of early childhood, this course was a complete learning experience for me. I was able to develop my own research simulation and dive into what it takes to design a research study. I was able to look at my initial topic from multiple angles and truly understand the process of research design so that I could produce the best possible conclusion for my simulation. The insights I have gained within this course far outweigh any type of information I could have learned within my own research and the chance to collaborate with my colleagues provided one of the biggest incentives to log onto the Walden website almost every day. 

I believe my idea about the nature of doing research changed as I realized just how important and essential it is to the field of early childhood, not only to the children and families the members serve, but to the field itself. Without research, it can be nearly impossible for policy and law makers to envoke change and for advocates to have a firm platform on which to make change. With research comes evidence and data that can be used to better the generations of children and aid their families and educators in the process. 

I learned all about the planning, designing, and conducting of research in early childhood. From the initial design process (do I want to collect qualitative or quantitative data? or would a mixed methods approach be better?), to the way to choose participants (random?), to even the ethical thoughts that must remain forefront in the researcher's brain throughout the entire process. The attention to detail and the plan to always stay a step ahead had to be learned through this course as we developed our own simulations that allowed us the chance to plan and change our study to provide the best possible outcomes.

I believe the biggest challenge that I encountered was the mere magnitude conducting research takes out of someone. Even just developing a simulation left me many times exhausted and self-doubting as I constantly questioned whether or not my attention to detail was enough to develop a successful research simulation. I can only imagine what actually conducting research must feel like, yet it makes me excited at the possibility of perhaps conducting my own study someday.