When I Think of Research.......

During this course I have gained so much about research. Research is the investigation of a particular topic using a variety of reliable, scholarly resources. The three major goals of research are establishing facts, analyzing information, and reaching new conclusions. The three main acts of doing research are searching for, reviewing, and evaluating information. During this course I have an open mind for many research types and designs. One in particular is the Explanatory research. Explanatory research focuses on why questions. Answering the `why' questions involves developing causal explanations.I have gained enough information in this course to use in future studies. I appreciated everything this course offer. This course gave me an insight on educational research. Educational research refers to a variety of methods in which individuals evaluate different aspects of education including but not limited to: “student learning,teaching methods, teacher training, and classroom dynamics”.

Characteristics of Research

• Educational research attempts to solve a problem.
• Research involves gathering new data from primary or first-hand sources or using existing data for a new purpose.
• Research is based upon observable experience or empirical evidence.
• Research demands accurate observation and description.
• Research generally employs carefully designed procedures and rigorous analysis.
• Research emphasizes the development of generalizations, principles or theories that will help in understanding, prediction and/or control.
• Research requires expertise—familiarity with the field; competence in methodology; technical skill in collecting and analyzing the data.
• Research attempts to find an objective, unbiased solution to the problem and takes great pains to validate the procedures employed.
• Research is a deliberate and unhurried activity which is directional but often refines the problem or questions as the research progresses.
• Research is carefully recorded and reported to other persons interested in the problems

Research Around the World

Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU) Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA): Developed and maintained by the University of Victoria, Canada, this virtual university is the international gateway for early childhood research worldwide. Through the link below, you can access ECDVU’s Sub-Saharan Africa portal. The second link takes you to a list of current early childhood research conducted by students in Sub-Saharan Africa.
http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/index.php
http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/major_reports.php

Research Topics

• Improving Quality of Childcare through Parenting Enrichment
• Invovling Fathers in Early Childhood Care and Development
• Curiculum Development using Community resources

This website is very resourceful. It explains all the research topic this internationl organztion is instrested in. I enjoy exploring this website. I gain insightful thoughts and conclusions about these topics. Especially the research conclusions about involving fathers. Many fathers are not apart of their children lives. When a child does not see a father figure , they really do not have a role model to look up too. I was fortunte to have my father in my life at a young age. I appreciated everything he had done for me in the past.