Research Reflection....

I have gained numerous insights from this course about research. I was able to take a look into the research process and learn more about it. I learned a lot of research vocabulary. The chapter on Ethics was also a valuable read for me. I also feel that the course text will be a helpful reference for me in future research.

The ideas about the nature of doing research have changed for me. This course has showed me that doing research involving children, there is so much to consider. It is not so cut and dry.

As far as planning, designing, and conducting research in the Early Childhood goes, I have learned that a good plan is necessary. But you have to expect the unexpected when working with children. I have also learned that you may start out with one research question and by the end of your research, it could be a completely different question.

A few challenges that I faced were coming up with a research simulation project or question that I would find interesting and then narrowing it down into something that I could research. It look the first few weeks of the course until I finally felt that I had narrowed down my topic to something that I could work with. It seemed like every time I read a new topic about how to conduct research, I had to re-evaluate my question/topic. It was challenging but very insightful and I feel that I would be able to replicate it again.

My perceptions of an early childhood professional have been modified as a result of this course. I can see that this field is wide open to issues that need to be studied and researched. I am grateful to those that supplied us with the knowledge that we have now about the field of early childhood.

Research Around the World

I chose the Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU) Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) website to explore. I found interesting information.

What are some of the current international research topics?

• A few international  research topics that I discovered were:
• Aids
• Public and Private School Enrollment
• Infant and child mortality rates
• Child nutrition
• Health
• Early Childhood Development
• Poverty
• Education and Training

What surprising facts/insights/new ideas about early childhood did you gain from exploring this international early childhood website?

• I found that in Eritrea, they have "feeder schools" that offer free basic education. Through these schools, they help convince parents to send their children to school. The un-enrolled child rate is still high regardless.
• I found it interesting that the greatest concern with regard to schooling is participation of girls.

What other noteworthy information did you find on this website?

• Some other noteworthy information I found is regarding children with special needs.
• In Uganda, children with special needs have been identified and programs were created to cater to these children and give them access to school.
• They have also trained over 5,000 teachers to handle children with special needs.

Reference
http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/index.php