week 8

Over the last 8 weeks my knowledge has expanded immensely when it came to the early childhood research. I never realized just how much work goes into to conducting a study that is reliable and valid.  

I learned that research is about uncovering and enabling the emergence of new understandings, insights and knowledge . The road to an effective outcome is always embedded in the research that is involved.   This is especially true when it comes to young children and their families.

I believe that there certain studies where societal benefits from subjecting children to greater than minimal risks.  Risk/Benefit equation in terms of a research study has to with the variables surrounding the study. The greater the benefit a study can possibly have , a possible higher risk is acceptable. Even if the research was very valuable, possible risks must always be taken into consideration and evaluated.   Millions of people die each year from Cancer.  If there were a study where the possibility of perhaps understanding the different variables of the disease and could possibly lead to iradication then certain risks would be warranted.  When discussing the risk/benefit equation it is important to always calculate and evaluate any possible risks and consequences.  

I learned that research studies are only as good as the design.  

The last 8 weeks have furthered my understanding of the architecture of how to effectively set up a research study.  I am now aware of the different variable that need to be put into place in order for a study to be successful.  

week 5 - International Research

International Research

European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA) is an independent, self-governing, international association which promotes and disseminates multi-disciplinary research on early childhood and its applications to policy and practice. EECERA is a non-profit organization, wholly-owned and subscribed to by its substantial and influential world-wide membership. It generates its own revenue, receives no external funding and thus ensures its independence, radical attitude and innovative openness.   EECERA Annual Conference is the largest and most significant early years' research conference in Europe, regularly attracting more than 600 researcher delegates from all over the world.   

Some of the current international research topics include Outdoor play and learning, Diversity in the early childhood education and appropriation of symbolic skills in 5 years old. 

The are many new facts that I learned from reviewing EECERA web page.  There is a Conference that is hosted in a different European city each year by a local university or early years network and to encourage networking and cross-national collaborations, includes a full social program. The local knowledge and the EECERA organizational structure mean that each conference is unique but of consistent quality.   The next conference will be in Estonia in August 2013.  It will be discussing the important issues of values, culture and contexts.   I as well became exposed to one of the most respected journals in the early childhood field.  The EECERJ, the Journal of EECERA, is one of the most prestigious early childhood journals in the world. It is one of only four early years journals indexed by the Institute for Scientific Information.    It consists of all pertinent research studies in correlation with effective early childhood development.