An insight involving consent…
One area
of research that has perked my interest is regarding informed consent to be
involved in a research study. Our text tells us that voluntary consent is
absolutely essential (p. 73), however where does that leave observations? If
the observation is conducted in a classroom consent is more easily addressed, but
what about observations done in a public park where people come and go quickly?
Do these people have the right to consent to be involved in your study, or are
they consenting just by being in public? The topic of voluntary consent was
very insightful, especially consent involving children. I am very relieved to
know that consent should be gained from children according to their age and
capabilities. Children are people too, and I am glad researchers are reminded
of that while developing their research with children.
Developing views of research…
I was
interested previously in research from the scientific position, but I now am also
interested in research that involves and benefits children, outside of the
medical field. There is a lot more to be learned about and from children and
their childhoods that can be used to benefit their lives greatly. We are
constantly finding new best teaching practices and finding new ways to apply
technology to our classrooms, and those are all because of dedicated
researchers. I will now have much more support for, and interest in, research
that is being conducted around me.
Lessons about research design…
I learned
that no interest is too small. In fact, the more defined and narrow the
interest the easier the research process is. I also learned that you should not
limit yourself or give yourself unnecessary restrictions while designing the
research. Researchers need to think outside of the box sometimes, or researcher
reflexivity.
Challenges…
I had a
challenge grasping the simulation aspect. I was at first stuck on the idea that
I would have to actually conduct the research, so I really limited myself. Once
I realized that I did not have to collect the data, just design it in theory I
was much better off. I have also had many challenges this semester with
balancing my new mommy duties and school work. I haven’t really overcome that
challenge yet, it seems to be a losing battle. I have found, however, that I
can get a lot more done throughout the week if I work on little pieces at a
time.
Developing view of an early childhood professional…
I now
realize what an impact relevant research has made in the early childhood field.
This made me realize that in order for the field to continue to grow and move
in the right direction, further research must be conducted to guide our growth
and movement. An early childhood professional should be embracing this
knowledge and keeping up to date with current studies and research findings.
Not all research will be valid or reliable, but it will inform the professional
of where the field is going and why.
This is my last post for this semester, so thank you to all
my colleagues that have been reading and writing along with me. Hopefully we
will be keeping in touch in future Walden courses J
