Module 1 2
.pdf
School
Charles Sturt University**We aren't endorsed by this school
Course
EER 413
Subject
Philosophy
Date
Jan 5, 2025
Pages
4
Uploaded by EarlCrownSalamander28
Module 1: What is research?OverviewWhat do you think of when you hear the word research? Who makes it? In relation to early childhood education - who might research be about? Think about any of the other subjects you have taken so far. Where has this information come from? You may have had more experiences with research than you realise – through journal articles or textbook chapters, research reported in the media, hearing or reading about politicians discussing research and how it relates to particular policies. You have probably also participated in research – surveys, interviews, focus groups? Or maybe participating or conducting some research in your early childhood service? Research allows us to find answers and solutions to questions and problems, and to weigh up alternatives. Research provides evidence to inform and improve professional practice. For example, through addressing questions like these: “What is the best teacher: child ratio to promote quality relationships?”, “How do educators’ professional identities change once they gain qualifications?” or “How could we better include children with disabilities in early childhood education?” Research can have benefits for educators, families, children and those who make policies for our field. Research can also be fun, fascinating and controversial! There are also some particular reasons educators of children of all ages need to understand how research is conducted, and, the role of research in their work. •It allows you to keep up to date with emerging researchin your profession, and, to engage critically in evidence presented to you in professional development or professional articles. •It's part of being a professional educator. Professional teaching standards explicitly mention having research-based knowledge, and using this as part of reflection and decision-making. •As a leader in your early childhood education workplace, having research-based knowledge will help you maintain or further develop the quality of practicein the service (Kervin et al., 2015). So, what is educational research?"Educational research is a systematic investigation, involving the [collection and] analysis of information (data), to answer a questionor contribute to our knowledgeabout an educational theory or practice" (McMillan & Wergin, 2010, p.1). McMillan and Wergin explain these features of educational research a bit further: •Research is systematic- it relies on careful, formal procedures for setting up the investigation, collection and analysis of data, and for interpreting results. These procedures need to be transparent enough to allow other to verify findings. •Research is rigorous- it requires critical engagement with observations and conclusions, and actively uses procedures designed to reduce and control bias.
•Research is empirical – that is, research is guided by evidence directly obtained from systematic research methods – observation, experiment or experience - rather than by opinion (Mukherji & Albon, 2023). Empirical data can be in the form of numbers, such as scores or frequencies; in the form of text, such as interview transcripts or even through arts-based media like paintings or photographs. https://youtu.be/wBomUBY62a4?t=33 KnowledgeAs Mukherji and Albon (2023) explain, there are three broad sources of human knowledge. Each is useful in some situations, but also has its drawbacks: 1.Personal experience - drawing on previous experiences to help us solve current dilemmas. A drawback is that our perceptions of these experiences may be biased, or, be based on unreliable memories. We cannot have experienced every situation, so cannot rely only on our personal experiences as a guide to action - others' knowledge and experiences is required too. 2.Expertise and authority - accepting without question that information from a trusted, expert or authoritative source is reliable. Customs and traditions can also fall into this category of sources of knowledge - for example, have you heard others in your workplace claiming that because something has 'always been done that way', it should not be questioned? This shows that people can trust the authority of the tradition without thinking about whether it is still relevant, or the best way to do something now. Experts can also disagree, or, their findings biased - so that what might seem to be the 'truth' is not necessarily so. 3.Logic – using deductive andinductive reasoning. Deductive reasoning involves developing a general theory, then using that theory to guide a process of enquiry and predict outcomes. One drawback of this form of logic is that it does not produce new knowledge, rather, it tests the theory to confirm or challenge what is already known. Inductive reasoning involves gathering evidence to propose new theories of why things behave as they have been observed to do. A drawback of inductive reasoning is that it can be hard to predict with confidence how often, how much or how many of something is needed to get the same results. The combination of deductive and inductive reasoning informs the scientific method: "...identifying and clarifying a problem, then collecting and analysing data to answer that problem" (Kervin et al., 2016, p. 29). The scientific method underpins the research that we will study in this subject. Activity•Can you think of other examples of ways we come to know about things through experiencesas educators? •Expertise and authoritycan inform many practices in early childhood education - what might be some sources you draw upon already? •How do you think evidenceinforms your practice? Can you think of times you have used deductiveor inductivereasoning?
Make a note of your thinking on these questions, or share your ideas on the discussion forum if you wish. Please check the link: https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&course_id=_68424_1&nav=discussion_board_entry&conf_id=_140325_1&forum_id=_322150_1&message_id=_4500736_1 Sources of knowledgeNext, we will consider ways of thinking about the world, and how these relate and are played-out in research approaches. Two key terms to understand in relation to research are ontology and epistemology. Ontologies are our beliefs or world-view about what reality and the world is - how things are, how they work, and why (Grieshaber, 2010). So for example, a person might believe that in life there are rights and wrongs, and everything is structured that way. Another person believes that there are few things that are actually right or wrong, most things depend on context and the people involved to define what they are. Assumptions about the nature of reality inform research decisions. So a researcher who believes that it is possible to determine or prove a ‘truth’ in relation to what they are investigating is more likely to use scientific, positivist methods to prove this. A researcher who believes meaning is subjective and contextual in relation to what they are investigating is more likely to use interpretivist approaches to explore the issue. Epistemologiesare theories of knowledge about "...who can be a 'knower'; what tests beliefs and assumptions must pass in order to be given the status of 'knowledge'; and what kinds of things can be 'known'" (Strega, 2005, cited in Grieshaber, 2010, p. 178). For example, Indigenous knowledge and knowers have the same validity as Western knowledge and knowers, however the dominance of a Western approach to epistemology can invalidate Indigenous knowledge. Don’t worry if this seems a bit complex right now – the key thing to get out of this is that “our assumptions aboutthe world around us [ontology], and our ideas about how to find out aboutthe world around us [epistemology]” are linked (Mukherji & Albon, 2023, p. 64).
The research processThe diagram above gives you an idea of the typical phases of a research project. The research process appears as a cycle moving from one decision to the next, but in practice, it is not always so clear-cut! For example, at the same time as you are formulating the research questions, you would also be considered the overall design of the project and which methods you would use to help answer the question. Watch this videoto understand more about how the research process works: https://youtu.be/V8ndAyxkxtA