When I Think of Research..........
- I have gained a lot of insight from taking this course. I have a better understanding of what research is and what steps to take to conduct a research study. I understand that every question may not be compatible for a research study. Some questions may be to broad and cannot be condensed into a hypothesis. I have learned that there are more than one method to conduct a research. For instance, there is quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods. I learned how to turn my research question into a hypothesis. I learned the meaning of several words I was unfamiliar with. There is a lot of insight I have gained about research through this course.
- I was terrified of research before this course. I did not know the extent of doing a research study. I am more comfortable about doing research. I use to think that research was boring and I have found out through this course that research can be exciting and it takes a lot of hard work and dedication.
- I learned that planning is very important. You must have a plan about your research before you can even start. I believe planning is important with everything you do in life. I cannot just up and go on vacation without planning the vacation because I would need to book the hotel, air flight, save money, put in for days off of work. The same goes for research; I would have to develop a research question, find material on my research question, decide on who I will use for my research, where I will do my research, and how I will do my research. Planning, designing, and conducting the research takes a lot of time and effort.
- A challenge that I encountered in the beginning of the class was my research question. My original research question was too broad and could not be condensed into a hypothesis, so I had to change my research question. Another challenge I encountered was understanding some of the terminology used during certain projects. It took me a minute to grasp the understanding and get a better understanding of what was being asked of me to do. Some of the feedback from my colleagues and instructor helped me better understand the terminology.
- An early childhood professional has a lot of work to do. It is not as easy as most people may perceive this profession. Teaching, protecting, guiding, and developing young minds is a challenge. Working directly with children ages 0 to 8 years old can be very stressful and rewarding. Watching children grow and their families grow is very rewarding. Research in early childhood is very important because it helps protect the children and their families along with correcting any challenges that may occur in this field. Finding out why a child is so aggressive or why the child cries most of the day is very important to research in early childhood. With the knowledge of know what is going on with the child and the family can help both the child and family succeed in life. A child in poverty does not have to become an adult in poverty. Early childhood can make a difference in every community, nationality, and social background!
Thanks for sharing your experiences, Erica. It sounds like many of us were a bit nervous about a research course. I found that while many of the terms and concepts were a bit difficult to understand at first, it helped that they were separated so well each week. It made learning occur bit by bit and helped me to worry less about my research simulation as a whole. I'm glad you were able to find clarification for many of your questions within the discussion boards through the feedback of others. I have also found that reading what others post or comment is often a great way to clarify something. Everyone has such a different perspective that they bring to new information and that is a great benefit to us in a course like this. Good luck in your future courses!
ReplyDeleteHello Erica,
ReplyDeleteSometimes it can be very hard to narrow down a research question and find the right wording. I struggled with the definition of certain concepts. I often had to reread the text a couple of times or seek clarification from an outside source. It seems like you have gained a lot from this course and your colleagues. Thank you for sharing. All the best with everything.
Karina
Hi Erica,
ReplyDeleteI love the pictures that you added to your blog!
I was so surprised to discover how difficult it was coming up with a research question. I thought that it would be the easiest part of the research study. However, like you said, not all questions are right for research studies. I had to spend a lot of time trying to form one that would work well with research and this simulation. Planning is so essential to research studies! I never realized just how much of a process setting up a research study is. It is very time consuming and it is important that researchers allot their time accordingly. I learned a lot from this course, but I am glad that it is over! :) Good luck in the future!
Erica,
ReplyDeleteResearch was a terrifying journey, and while I have learned so much, I do realize that this is not something I would really feel confident in doing at this point in my life. I have a better understanding and respect for researchers, and while I conduct "research" daily as a teacher, it does not really compare with what I have understood from the course. Best of luck in all of your endeavors and see you in our future courses at Walden!
Hi Erica, it is good to see that you have learnt and overcame any fears you had towards research. I too had difficulty narrowing down my research question, though one of the smallest parts within research it play a very major role and must be decided upon correctly. I hope you continue to achieve your best as you continue your Masters program.
ReplyDeleteErica,
ReplyDeleteI love you summary of the class. I hope you are successful through remainder of your program. Research itself can be a daunting task . I am in agreement that through planning and an understanding of the process it makes the process a little easier.