Before I start my
blog post I want to thank everyone in this class for my journey. I
was really nervous in the beginning that I wasn't going to be able to
pull through but with your help I am almost at the end. This is one
of the most insightful classes I have taken so far at Walden. I've
learned how to put together a research study while keeping an ethical
perspective. I have a better understanding of quantitative and
qualitative although I do struggle with the both a little. “One of
the first tasks of the child development researcher is to decide on a
basic method by which to collect information. Scientific inquiries
generally fall into two broad categories: those conducted using
qualitative methods and those conducted using quantitative methods.
As the word "qualitative" implies, qualitative methods
employ nonnumeric designs and attempt to study phenomena inductively,
as a process, and in the place in which the phenomena occur.
Conversely, the quantitative approach attempts to measure phenomena
numerically and make conclusions deductively and with respect to
outcomes or products. Both approaches are well represented in the
study of children.” (n.d) Methods of Studying Children -
Qualitative Methods Of Child Study, Quantitative Methods of Child
Study retrieved from
http://social.jrank.org/pages/413/Methods-Studying-Children.html
My ideas have changed about research because now I see it more as a
process. I didn't realize that if you become emotionally \involved
with the participants, this might affect your study. One of my
favorites topics this semester is children and power relations. In
the past when research was conducted it was done so unethically
without the consent of parents. This is no longer the case. When we
are conducting a research study the safety of the children must come
first, we must also decide on what method we will use to study the
children. Some of the challenges that I have encountered was learning
the terminology and before those helpful hints on how to read a
research study, I also struggled with that.
