There are so many different needs and uses for research on
children and/or families. I believe that the very notion of early childhood
education started as an inquiry that sparked research and thought it necessary to
establish a foundation that would serve a pillar for advancement in the field. Various
topics come to my mind when I think about research involving children including
medical, societal, and educational research.
As we proceed throughout this
course piecing together the process of research in efforts of becoming
competent in doing early childhood research, my task this week is to share a positive
example of the effects of research on children and/or families. In early
childhood education, children need certain components in their environments
that promote safety, healthy development, and well-being. Within these environments are a web of
supporters that contribute to their abilities to learn and their capacities to
adjust and adapt through resiliency. Research done on the relationships of
children with their caregiver has provided evidential benefits in the field of
early childhood education. Theories of secure attachments have supported the
ideals of the critical need for infants to develop relationships and how it encourages
their sense of security, independence, and competence. As children mature, the roles
that these individuals play in their education has proven to be effective
attributes in their academic success as well.
Going
further into research, I explored articles that discussed the benefits of
research on children relevant to child development. The pioneers in this field
have researched the virtues that foster how children grow, development
milestones that support growth, and further more activities that can encourage
growth. In today’s society, bullying has become the force behind many childhood
suicides and attempts, increase in dropout rates, and peer on peer violence. Research
that focuses on the behavior of children can be helpful in assisting
professionals in understanding the characteristics of the actions and
reactions. Behavioral research can also aid in implementing intervention and
prevention service that can combat challenging behaviors.
In my
opinion, if we continue to research utilizing ethically sound guidelines, then
we as professionals in the field of early childhood care and education will be
able to maximize the quality of care of programs being provided to children and
families, enhance learning and teaching techniques and strategies of educators,
advocate for strong successful families, and a plethora of other crucially
important conditions that benefit the lives of children and families through
research.
