When I Think of Research

After reflecting on all of the things that I have learned about research in this class, all I can say is WOW! Research is a very detailed and informative subject that provides so many people with different insights and data to help them understand and address issues that they may be experiencing, especially in the area of early childhood.  However, I have really enjoyed learning about the research process and hope that one day I will be able to conduct a research study of my own.

The resources, assignments, and discussions have allowed me to gain many insights on the topic of research.  When it comes to research there are many things that the research must consider and determine when approaching and addressing the problem at hand.  The researcher must carefully go through each step of the research process in order to determine some very important aspects which include the type of research, the research design, data collection methods, participants, and rules/ethics that must be applied throughout the entire study.  The researcher has a big job on their hands but have to remember it is all worth the work because of the impact that they will make on people in society.  Going through each week and learning about each part of the research process has made me feel differently about research.  I used to think that research was boring and took too much time, however, now I feel that research will allows the researcher to make an impact on people and develop solutions to problems that have been around for many years.  Just the thoughts of making an impact on the lives of children and allowing them to experience life in a positive way makes me want to share with everyone the benefits of research.

During this course the professor made sure that we were aware of different lessons that pertained to planning, designing, and conducting research.  Basically the researcher has to be patient and make sure that all research guidelines are followed and that they remain ethical throughout the process.  The researcher must also make sure that they carefully plan their study to make sure that it focuses on a specific problem as well as a specific population.  When it comes to designing the study, the research must make sure that every step has been addressed to make sure that no vital information is left out.  The researcher should also make sure that they have received consent from the participants and have explained every aspect of the study to keep from being deceitful and labeled as untrustworthy.  The lessons that I learned allowed me to get through my research simulation which was not an easy task.  While going through my research simulation, I experienced several challenges which were somewhat hard to overcome.  The one challenge that has given me trouble the entire time is the development of a topic and research question which is specific.  Every research question that I developed was deemed as broad and really made things frustrating for me.  Every time I changed the question, I was still stating it in a broad manner.  This is something that I have to work on in order to successfully complete my major assessment for this class.  This is a challenge that I am still facing and have not accomplished as of yet but hopefully I will be able to work through this challenge.             

This class has really opened my eyes to many of the issues that early childhood professionals, children, and families are experiencing.  This information has taken my perception of the early childhood professional to another level in which I am even more excited about becoming an early childhood professional and an advocate for children.  I feel that every child should experience a life where they do not have to deal with the problems that children are faced with today.  I want to be a part of this field and join forces with others to aid children in achieving the best education possible in order to develop into successful adults.   

As I close this blog and complete another class, I would like to thank the professor and my colleagues for such a wonderful time of learning.  I am so glad that I have such a supportive and motivating network of people, who are focused on the same goals and traveling the same road to success.  I wish you all the best of luck and I will see you all in the next class!