When I Think of Research...

When I think of research, I think about the goal of the research project.  Research is designed to provide solutions to problems and to provide answers to research questions.  Now that I look back at my research project, I have a clearer understanding of how to conduct research.  I find that it is necessary to choose the proper design to address the problem or question.  Since I chose to work with language development programs and the academic progress of Hispanic children, I decided to use a mixed method approach.  This approach is a "combination of the qualitative and quantitative methods of research" (MacNaughton, Rolfe, and Siraj-Blatchford, 2010).  This method allows researchers to present concrete and narrative data in the research project.

I have learned that there are many challenges in conducting a research project.  These challenges include ensuring validity, reducing bias, and being sensitive to participants.  As an early childhood education researcher, I have learned that it is important to address these issues directly and to carefully plan the research project to avoid these issues.  Furthermore, I have learned that action research is beneficial to early childhood education. 

When I think of Research...I think of solutions to issues and problems that affect early childhood education.

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.