Research Around The World-Australia

The site that I chose to study was http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/

The first research topic I noticed was “Identify and Implement Quality Improvements.”  Obviously this topic is not only high in the United States, but also Australia. Other topics of research on the top 10 were assessment, respecting diversity and children’s resilience.

It was interesting to see that parent’s involvement is a high priority for this site. They had several links for parents on how to make the first year of school a good experience. It talks about what parents want to know as their child starts school.  They had a section for free scholarly articles online.  Several of these links were broken but I did find a great web site in the process called “Parenting Counts.”  On this web site there was a developmental chart that would guide parents on each stage of child development and what to expect.  I may find it a useful tool in the future.  Here is the link: http://www.parentingcounts.org/

More Research Needed: Animals and Children

Human-Animal Interactions

There is emerging evidence showing the importance of animals in child development.  I have two Jack Russell Terriers, one of which we call “The comfort dog.”  My son had back surgery recently and had a long recovery ahead of him, he had to be immobile for 3 months and during that time experienced extreme loneliness.  My dog “Lacey” literally stayed by him and sat on him or leaned on him the entire 3 months.  He reported to me later how much that helped him.  According to Esposito, McCune, Griffin & Maholmes, there has been several research studies showing that companion animals stimulate a young child’s cognitive growth through curiosity and learning.  The authors also point to a study where even   looking at pictures of animals reduced stress in children (2011).  Animals can be a great source of emotional support and more research is needed to validate their importance.  I have heard of dogs being used in therapy with children and I would love to be involved in a research project like this.  I can envision many children being helped and feeling a love and companionship that otherwise would be impossible. 

References

Esposito, L., McCune, S., Griffin, J. A., & Maholmes, V. (2011). Directions in Human-Animal     I

Interaction Research: Child Development, Health, and Therapeutic Interventions. Child DevelopmentPerspectives, 5(3), 205-211. doi:10.1111/j.1750-8606.2011.00175.x

 

Personal Research Journey

The topic of study I have chosen is Quality teaching in early childhood programs.  I believe the roll of the teacher is the most important factor in quality care and education.  I would like to find out exactly what characteristics make up a quality teacher, what types of professional development promotes growth and how to attract and keep quality teachers.

I am learning the importance of being careful and objective when conducting research.  I know that my analytical skills will be strengthened and this will help me throughout my professional career.  I view the research process as journey which includes different steps, from formulating a research question to objectively organizing the data. I believe it is wize to head the advice of Mac Naughton, Rolfe, and Siraj-Blathford to be realistic about the time and resources required to research this subject (2010), and I am looking forward to finding out more about this topic and hope that it will prove useful in the future

References

Mac Naughton, G., Rolfe, S.A., & Siraj-Blatchford, I. (2010). Doing early childhood research:

International perspectives on theory and practice (2nd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.