Download - 10.10.11 Jackie Research
-
8/3/2019 10.10.11 Jackie Research
1/32
An Introduction to Research in
Early Childhood Education
Jackie Musgrave
-
8/3/2019 10.10.11 Jackie Research
2/32
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
-
8/3/2019 10.10.11 Jackie Research
3/32
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
-
8/3/2019 10.10.11 Jackie Research
4/32
How to research
-
8/3/2019 10.10.11 Jackie Research
5/32
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
-
8/3/2019 10.10.11 Jackie Research
6/32
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
-
8/3/2019 10.10.11 Jackie Research
7/32
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
-
8/3/2019 10.10.11 Jackie Research
8/32
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
-
8/3/2019 10.10.11 Jackie Research
9/32
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
-
8/3/2019 10.10.11 Jackie Research
10/32
-
8/3/2019 10.10.11 Jackie Research
11/32
Qualitative Methods
Non-numerical data collection
Interviews
Observations
Diaries
Drawings
Childrens photographs
Produces in-depth and detailed data
-
8/3/2019 10.10.11 Jackie Research
12/32
Quantitative
Usually numerical data collection methods
from questionnaires, statistical surveys and
experiments
Tend to produce braod contextual data
providing overall patterns and generalisations
-
8/3/2019 10.10.11 Jackie Research
13/32
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
-
8/3/2019 10.10.11 Jackie Research
14/32
How does a researcher plan research?
Designing a Research Plan or Proposal
-
8/3/2019 10.10.11 Jackie Research
15/32
How does a researcher know what to
research?
Area of research interest
Deciding on Research Question
Conducting Literature Review
-
8/3/2019 10.10.11 Jackie Research
16/32
-
8/3/2019 10.10.11 Jackie Research
17/32
Methods
Questionnaires
Interviews
Observation
Documents
-
8/3/2019 10.10.11 Jackie Research
18/32
Ethical Considerations
Cause no harm to
participants
Consent
Confidentiality
Anonymity
Respect
Sensitivity
Feedback
-
8/3/2019 10.10.11 Jackie Research
19/32
Analysis of Data
Qualitative data analysis can adopt a thematic
approach to analysis of findings
Software programmes can be used
-
8/3/2019 10.10.11 Jackie Research
20/32
Writing up and sharing of findings
Share research : locally or submit for
publication
-
8/3/2019 10.10.11 Jackie Research
21/32
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
-
8/3/2019 10.10.11 Jackie Research
22/32
How do we know what is suitable research to
draw on for assessed work or to inform
practice?
-
8/3/2019 10.10.11 Jackie Research
23/32
-
8/3/2019 10.10.11 Jackie Research
24/32
-
8/3/2019 10.10.11 Jackie Research
25/32
-
8/3/2019 10.10.11 Jackie Research
26/32
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
-
8/3/2019 10.10.11 Jackie Research
27/32
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
-
8/3/2019 10.10.11 Jackie Research
28/32
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?
-
8/3/2019 10.10.11 Jackie Research
29/32
Seminar
Identify the methods that are evolving in
research with children
What are the advantages of these methods
Are there any disadvantages?
-
8/3/2019 10.10.11 Jackie Research
30/32
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
-
8/3/2019 10.10.11 Jackie Research
31/32
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?
-
8/3/2019 10.10.11 Jackie Research
32/32
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