I have gained a lot of insights about research in general from taking this course. I really benefited from the first two weeks as we learned to determine which research we should use and how to determine if it is quality research. This knowledge is something that will be carried over to the remainder of the program as well as into the field. I also learned that research is its own field with its own terminology. I learned about the different types of research designs as well as validity and equity in research. I have a new found appreciation for researchers because I believe they put more time into designing the study then actually conducting it.
My idea about the nature of conducting research has changed slightly. I knew that research was time consuming and that researchers spent a lot of time making sure their study was unbiased. Before this class, the only research I encountered was researching articles or conducting a small survey. The way research is conducted is a very thorough process. I now understand how complex it is and that it can easily be done when broken down in pieces. Our second application for this course each week is a great example of breaking down a research study.
I also learned a lot from the way research is planned, designed, and conducted. Before this course, planning meant writing down my brainstorm ideas and then move on to step two. In research, researchers spend a lot of time planning because they continuously come back and revise again and again. I did this with my research topic alone each week. The designing stage of research is complex because you have to figure out which design will really fit your study. I have learned a lot about quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods designs. I have yet to conduct a research study, but I can only imagine that this is the best part of research.
My biggest challenge in this course was my research topic. Over the past few weeks I really had to narrow it down and really be specific about everything. Each week, I spent time revising it again. I overcame this challenge by finally emailing Dr. Davis for guidance before I turned in my assignment. I also had some minor challenges with properly defining terms in this class, and I overcame this challenge by rereading the topics a few times as well as looking in the glossary.
My perceptions as an early childhood professional have been modified by simply the way I look at things now. As a teacher, there are always new techniques and methods of teaching to implement. I now know that some researcher put in a lot of time to really determine if this new method will work, and it must because I now have to implement it! I also have a new appreciation for other professions like researchers in our field.