10.10.11 jackie research

8/3/2019 10.10.11 Jackie Research

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An Introduction to Research in

Early Childhood Education

Jackie Musgrave


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objectives

To define research and define key terminologyused in research

To gain an understanding of what sources to use

To gain an overview of current researchmethodologies

To identify how Educational Research contributesto the early childhood education body of

knowledge To discuss ethical considerations in relation to

research with children


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Starting at the beginning

What is research?

Search: to look for

Re: to repeat something

Why research?

Adds to the body of specialist knowledge of a

profession: PhD and outside-funded research Scholarly activity: undergraduate and Masters

Informs good practice and policy


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How to research


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Approaches to Research

Paradigm: a typical example or model of

something; a conceptual framework

underlying the theories and practice of a

scientific subject or area of inquiry.

2 research approaches: positivist and

interpretive


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A useful analogy: Roberts-Holmes

(2005) p39

...Two traditions of positivism and

interpretivism is that of photography. When

taking pictures the positivist researcher tends

to take wide-angled, broad sweep and

panoramic photographs. These show the

whole broad scope of the situation without

much detail


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The interpretivist researcher, on the other

hand, tends to take the close-up, detailed

photos. These show the fine detail and

complex interactions going on.

Both traditions are useful in that we get to see

different perspectives of the same thing


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Positivism

The traditional scientific way of seeing the

world.

Assumption that there is objective truth Tends to use experiments and large samples in

order to generalise from their findings

If the results of a specific research project arevalid, they can be replicated by another

researcher when the project is repeated


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positivism

Absence of researcher influence

Example of a positivist approach is the

measure of intelligence test IQ Burts test falsely seen to be scientifically

objective

Approach still used psychology and medicine


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Qualitative Methods

Non-numerical data collection

Interviews

Observations

Diaries

Drawings

Childrens photographs

Produces in-depth and detailed data


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Quantitative

Usually numerical data collection methods

from questionnaires, statistical surveys and

experiments

Tend to produce braod contextual data

providing overall patterns and generalisations


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So you want to conduct

research?

Research Design

Think of this as a Recipe for cooking: which

book? Why that one? Who are you cookingfor? How long have you got? What steps do

you take to ensure safe preparation of the

food?

This is an analogy of the justification of your

methodology


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How does a researcher plan research?

Designing a Research Plan or Proposal


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How does a researcher know what to

research?

Area of research interest

Deciding on Research Question

Conducting Literature Review


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Methods

Questionnaires

Interviews

Observation

Documents


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Ethical Considerations

Cause no harm to

participants

Consent

Confidentiality

Anonymity

Respect

Sensitivity

Feedback


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Analysis of Data

Qualitative data analysis can adopt a thematic

approach to analysis of findings

Software programmes can be used


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Writing up and sharing of findings

Share research : locally or submit for

publication


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Educational Research

New approaches to ER are emerging. It is

imperative that researchers adopt rigorous

approaches to research design in order to

maintain the credibility of ER.

This means careful consideration of each step

of the process


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How do we know what is suitable research to

draw on for assessed work or to inform

practice?


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How do we know what is suitable research to draw on

for assessed work or to inform practice?

Peer-reviewed journals eg Journal of EarlyChildhood Research

Search for in ejournal collection

Look at abstract and methodology

Relevant textbooks from reading list (these willinclude reference lists that direct you to othersources)

Correct Harvard referencing ofsources must beincluded in your work


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Children as Participants

Seminar Activity

Read the paper: Fargas-Malet, M., McSherry,

D., Larkin, E. And Robinson, C. (2010) Researchwith Children: Methodological Issues and

Innovative Techniques. Journal of Early

Childhood Research 2010 8: 175


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Seminar

Why is more research now being conducted

with and for children rather than on children?

What have the shifts in thinking andlegislation been that have helped this change

to come about? (Please find out more detail

about these influences before the seminar)

Why has the approach to research with

children created a methodological shift?


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Seminar

Identify the methods that are evolving in

research with children

What are the advantages of these methods

Are there any disadvantages?


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Ethical Considerations

Consideration of the ethics of researching with

children is of paramount importance. For this

reason researchers have to submit an

application for an ethical review to their

university before starting research.

Summarise the ethical considerations for the

methods outlined in the paper


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Summary

Review objectives for session

To define research and define key terminology used inresearch

To gain an overview of current research methodologies

To identify how Educational Research contributes tothe early childhood education body of knowledge

To discuss ethical considerations in relation to research

with children Have the objectives been achieved?


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References

Fargas-Malet, M., McSherry, D., Larkin, E. AndRobinson, C. (2010) Research with Children:Methodological Issues and Innovative

Techniques. Journal of Early ChildhoodResearch 2010 8: 175

Roberts-Holmes, G. (2005)D

oing Your EarlyYears Research Project. London: SagePublications