Final thoughts on research simulation

            The course Building Research Competencies has been a very interesting course for me. I have never been very interested in research. In fact, research and the thought of being a part of a research study has overwhelmed me and even scared me at times. Through this course I have learned that with careful planning and organization research is not something to be afraid of, it is a very helpful tool that allows professionals to know how to work in their field. While I once thought that research was a chore that one did just because they had to I now believe that if a person is truly passionate about something they should work towards researching that subject because it will help them to truly understand the nature if the subject and where they fit into that subject.

            While taking this course I learned that research is a step by step process. A study has to be carefully planned from the research question that will be studied to the participants that will take part. How to choose your participants is a very important part of the process as well. When planning and designing a research study it is important to not take anything for granted. Ethics and how they are going to affect a study is something that has to be considered extensively because if something goes ethically wrong the entire study could have to be scrapped causing the researchers to start over.

            While working through my research simulation one challenge that I faced was narrowing down my research question. I was not sure of where to go with it but after careful research I was able to find a direction. It is important to look at past research when planning a project so you know what has been done and what still needs to be learned through the research process. Through this process I have learned that if an early childcare professional is serious about their job and committed to their profession they will study research and learn as much as they can about their given field so they can help as many children as possible.  This is not to say that they have to take part in a research study because participating in a research project is not for everyone but they should always keep their eyes on the research that is coming out and how it affects the children in their care. 

Child Care in other countries

                 While looking through the international websites I noticed one thing, and that is that all other nations are dealing with similar issues as we are in the United States. We sometimes think that other people’s problems are not our own but the truth is that we all suffer the same problems regardless of location or culture. In Zambia they are dealing with Quality Assessment programs, in Eritrea it’s the improvement if quality of care an in Nigeria it’s the inclusion of fathers in Early Childhood Care. I think that sometimes as Americans we tend to view our country and our problems as one of a kind but the truth is that these other countries have the same problems that we do and we are all struggling for answers to the same questions. We are all trying to improve the quality of care for our children. I think that if we all came together to recognize each other’s similarities and differences we might have a better chance of accomplishing our goal.