I have gained several insights about research after completing this course. I have an increased knowledge about how to conduct research and how to dissect what I am reading when considering research – weeding out the good and the bad. Research is not something that can be taken lightly, and although there is a lot of research out there, it should not all be considered valid.
I think that I have realized that there is a lot more to consider when doing research than I had previously thought before taking this class. I have learned many lessons about planning, designing, and conducting research in early childhood. When planning research, it is important to take time to carefully design your research. Through carefully designed research, you can ensure that your research provides you with the data that allows you to achieve what you have set out to achieve (Mac Naughton, Rolfe, Siraj-Blatchford, 2010).
I think that a challenge for me is that I struggled with how to organize and implement all the different methods for my research simulation. I have realized that research offers us a lot of information and there is a lot of research already out there that we can use to our benefit. Again, not all research is reliable, but with what I have learned through this course, I feel that I am better able to distinguish what can be considered valuable and what cannot
I appreciate all the comments and posts that have been shared throughout this course and I look forward to continuing through this program with many of you!
References
Mac Naughton, G., Rolfe, S.A., & Siraj-Blatchford, I. (2010). Doing early childhood research: International perspectives on theory and practice (2nd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.
