When I Think of Research...

I am just two months away from being done my first year of grad school, it is crazy to think about that!  Here's how I have changed my perception of research throughout this last course:

• What insights have you gained about research from taking this course?
• I learned a great deal about the research process in regards to early childhood education.  It is by no means an easy task and you must be so very careful to take in all ethical considerations, be aware of who you are researching and who is participating, and most importantly keep in focus why you are researching your topic.  
• In what ways have your ideas about the nature of doing research changed?
• I have always known research to be important, I knew that it was time consuming, but I didn't realize how rewarding and energizing research could be.  
• What lessons about planning, designing, and conducting research in early childhood did you learn?
• There is a lot to take into consideration!  You can not just rush through the process or do it halfheartedly.  It takes hard work and patience to effectively plan, design, and conduct a research project.  
• What were some of the challenges you encountered—and in what ways did you meet them?
• The repetitive nature of the research design process was sometimes a barrier for me, but I always found something new to learn and that helped me jump that hurdle.  
• What are some of the ways your perceptions of an early childhood professional have been modified as a result of this course?
• My perceptions of an early childhood professional have not been modified necessarily, but my perceptions of researchers within the field of early childhood have been altered.  I give researchers a great deal of respect and credit for the work they do, it benefits all ECE professionals and the families and children we serve.  

Research Around the World

I explored the website for the European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA) located at http://www.eecera.org/.  On this website I discovered that current international research topics range from the importance of play in early childhood development and learning, supporting early childhood education and care, leadership and diversity in the field, transitioning children from home to school, and social support and dispositions of early childhood education and care.  
This association has one large international conference per year, hosted by a different country.  The conferences works to bring together local, federal, public, and private early childhood sectors to learn and discuss current initiatives.  Within the association there are Special Interest Groups (SIG) ranging from gender balance in the field, learning and participation, professionalism, and birth to three.  I really enjoyed that each journal issue focused on one central theme, for example, the most current issue focuses on play and the current research initiatives of participating European, Asian, and African countries.