Week 8 - When I think of research

 When I think of research.

      It has been eight weeks in this research course. I was really scared at the beginning because I did not know what to expect and how I will learn to build research competences. But as the weeks roll on, I began to gain understanding leading to building some confidence, and here I am now concluding the course with so much joy for the gains I have made and progress I recorded within this period.  Now, I understand that researches are just questions waiting to find answers or situations that need further explanation and exploration.  Research is not a mystery, it is a journey that needs careful planning and design guided with some fore knowledge or theories. It involves   detailed explanation of how the research will be funded, who the participants will be and how the findings will benefit everyone on the long run.

     From this course, I now understand how to raise research questions, turn them to hypotheses and plan the research. The planning stage appears to be the most intensive part. It is at this stage that the participants are identified and which method will be adopted, after which the data collected will be collected and analyzed, before conclusions are made.

     From the readings, I was quite challenged by the many vocabulary and new words I had to learn and new concepts that I need to understand, but of course, it got better. I did not find it easy to arrive at a topic for my simulation paper, even though I knew what I want to investigate.  There is a lot to research in early childhood because policies are always changing, growth and development of children are important to the future of the world.  In the field of education, understanding the importance of research, being able to identify quality research paper, and promoting the idea of being a researcher are all important aspects of being a professional in the field.  

       Finally, I want to thank all my colleagues for their support and assistance in helping me to learn. Your views, thoughts and responses brought color and richness to the group. Our instructor, Dr Terry Davis did a good job; you’re too wonderful, thank you for the timely feedback. I appreciate you all.  Hope to see you in the other courses. Enjoy the break.