Tuesday, June 25, 2013

When I Think of Research...


When I saw the title of this course I thought I was doomed.  I thought I was doomed because of my past experience in researching and writing research papers.  As I started this course I thought I knew a lot about research and how to conduct and construct a research paper.  I also thought about how much I did not like researching, having to read so many different resources, or having to construct a working paper that would fit what the instructor was looking for, expected, and showed my full understanding. 

As this course started I must admit that my anxiety got the best of me and cause me to not do too well in the beginning.  I reached out to a couple of classmates for help for understanding as well as the instructor.  And I thank you all for that.  As well as all my fellow classmates for your input, words of encouragement and thoughts on all subject matters throughout this course.  As the weeks went on I began to take more time to understand by reading one day, thinking another day and writing the third.  While I am a good writer under pressure, clearly that did not work in this course and I had to put in a time management plan in order to get through this course successfully.

I must say that I am glad I stayed the course and completed this class and am empowered with more knowledge about research then I had when I first started this class.  Had no ideas that a good research study is comprised of so many different components.  I also learned about the different strategies used in recording and conducting research in an effort to get the best results.   Most importantly I learned about quantitative and qualitative research designs.    

As a result of completing this course and all assignments I have to say that as a early childhood professional I have a new outlook when it comes to looking at studies.  While I still do not care to conduct research I do have a respect for researchers because of the time and work they put in to have a study that is well-rounded and informative.  I will read research studies and take from them the idea of gaining insight into how the information can suit my area of work.

6 comments:

  1. Hey Quandra, in the beginning of this course I was very skeptical about learning about research, because I didn't know much either. However, I can say now that I have learned a lot of information about how to conduct reliable and valid research by taking the proper step. I do know why this course is important for us take and that is because every early childhood professional should know and understand when and why to conduct research, they need to know the actual steps of the research process and they need to know the fair and just way to design their research. All in all, I found the course to be scary at first, but I'm leaving with a plethora of important information and facts.

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  2. Quandra,I feel the same of you but now I think about the importance of research,and also I think we learned together in discussion group. Good luck!
    And yes as Educators we need to respect the children,and be more conscious about their well-being,and development.
    Maria

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  3. Quandra, I think we were all having anxiety. I think I had anxiety every week of this course. This course was very hard for me to understand. Although I have learned a lot about research, it is not enough for me to jump out there and seek to conduct a research study.

    It was great having you as a colleague in yet another course. Wish you all the success possible as you complete your degree.
    Janine

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  4. Hello Quandra God bless all of my fellow classmates I has learned a lot since, I had this course about research. I am praying that I everything be alright. I know it has made me a better teacher especially in the observation field. I really has been educated in this study. Good Bless you I love you with the love of our great creator God the Father. Enjoy.

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  5. Quandra while reading your post about this course I realized that you and I had the same reservations about it. I thought that this course was going to lead to the end of my academic career. However, I can now honestly say that I have truly enjoyed this course and the information that I have learned while taking this course will be put to good use in September.

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  6. It is always a good feeling to be able to finish something that you started. It appears that many of us had the same reservations about this class, and to not back down from a challenge is a great play to be. Best wishes on all of your future classes and thank you for all of your insights and knowledge that you have shared along the way. Be Blessed.

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