Research that benefits children and families

Each day, we hear about many acts of violence in our society. The tragic incident earlier this week in Washington, DC so close to home made me wonder about what causes individuals to become violent. While there may be a variety of possible causes, if had the opportunity to conduct a research study, I would like to learn about the relationship between exposure to specific stressful experiences such as abuse and witnessing violence and crime during childhood and the potential of displaying violent behavior as adults. Furthermore, I would like to research the role of family, school and community supports in helping reduce the impact of stress exposure in childhood. Unfortunately, children today experience high levels of stress due to many reasons; family situations such as divorce, abuse, neglect, being in foster care, bullying or teasing at school, exposure to violence and crime to name just a few. The level of stress that many children are exposed to, are much higher than they can cope with.

 In my view, conducting a study on this topic would be extremely beneficial. By learning about how childhood stressors impact individuals in adulthood, we would know more about how we can better support children to cope with stressors and reduce the impact of the stressors so that despite experiencing a stressful childhood they can lead a positive life.  This information will be especially useful in developing school programs and community programs aimed at supporting children at risk. With more children receiving the support they need, the probability of individuals becoming violent and violence in our society maybe reduced. In addition, the information can be used to advocate for more programs supporting children and families and making policymakers more aware of the need to invest more in children, families and communities.

My Personal Research Journey

Last week, when we were asked to identify a topic we were interested in to study further, I immediately knew I wanted to focus on how to better support young children’s social and emotional development. As pre-kindergarten teacher I am well aware of how important it is for me to focus on this aspect of my students’ development as much or even more than their academic readiness in preparation for their transition into kindergarten next year. As I wondered about what aspect of social and emotional development to focus on for my research, I turned my attention to the needs of the students within my own classroom. While observing my new pre-k students, I realized that many of them had difficulty with taking the perspective of others or empathizing with them during problem situations. I had been wondering about what strategies could be incorporated into our classroom to help children further develop these skills when I came across an article in the September 2013 issue of the Young Children magazine titled ‘Animal Attraction: Including Animals in Early Childhood classrooms. Among many other benefits, it discussed how animals in early childhood classrooms can support children’s social and emotional development (Uttley, 2013).  I had seen first-hand how caring for our class pets; our guinea pig, two tree frogs, two aquatic frogs and fish seemed to benefit the children in my class but hadn’t thought much of it. At that point I realized that I would like to know more about the use of classrooms pets as a strategy to support the development of empathy in young children. 

            After reading more about the process of conducting research, I realized that narrowing down a topic of interest into a research question is one of the most important yet challenging steps in the process. It is certainly one that I have been struggling with. However, after reading several related research articles this week, I think I maybe one step closer to formulating a workable research question. I also have been trying to understand the different approaches to research and given the nature of my topic which approach would fit my simulation. I found that I was able to better understand some of the terminology in the text when it used examples to further explain it. I also found that by completing the research chart, I gained a more thorough understanding of some of the concepts which I am sure I would not have if I had just read through the text. As far as helpful tips for conducting the research process, I realized that with the vast amount of resources and information available, having a system to stay organized is important. As I find articles and go through them, I create a reference list and note down key points of the article. I also categorize articles by topic and place them in separate folders on my computer so that I find them with ease when I need them. Early on in this program, I found that if I didn’t have a system for organizing my resources I would become overwhelmed very easily. 

I am very excited about conductingt my simulation over the coming weeks. I am certain it will be challenging but I think we will all be able to rise up to the challenge. I am more than happy to share whatever resources I come across with you all that will support your research simulations. I would love to hear of any resources you may be aware of that support my topic of classroom pets and empathy in young children or any helpful tips for moving forward with our research projects. 

References:

Uttley, C. (2013). Animal attraction: Including animals in early childhood classrooms. Young Children, 68(4), 16-21.  

Reflections: The International Early Childhood Field

Over the past several weeks, my exploration of early childhood websites, the insights shared by my colleagues and the information shared by my contact Fran in the Philippines has helped me broaden my knowledge of the international early childhood field. This knowledge has benefitted me in many ways. Firstly, my awareness of the issues affecting the field of early childhood globally has increased. I came to the realization that many countries both developed and developing still have a long way to go in terms of supporting the field of early childhood at the level it should be. Issues such as lack of funding and resources and lack of regulations seem to be universal as well as false perceptions about the field. I also realized that the state of early childhood in a country is dependent on whether or not the government of the country views it as a priority. Sweden has programs in place that support children and families while the United States in my view has a long way to go. On the other hand, countries such as the Philippines are beginning to recognize the importance of the early years and are beginning to put programs in place but are struggling with the lack of resources in the presence of many other pressing issues such as battling extreme poverty and dealing with the geographical barriers of reaching all children in the many islands that form the country. 

Secondly, in addition to course recommended websites, the resources shared by Fran and my colleagues have helped me build up a great collections of international early childhood resources which in turn has compelled me to continue to stay informed about early childhood happenings internationally. Reading about global and national early childhood initiatives have been eye opening. While I always felt that it is extremely important to stay informed as an early childhood professional, I realized that learning about issues other countries are dealing with and the ways they are being addressed is extremely useful in understanding issues right here in the United States and in trying to figure out ways to address them. For example, I read of a program in Gambia that planned on using the existing primary school infrastructure to support a preschool program as a way of supporting early childhood in their most impoverished neighborhoods. Lastly, I feel very much compelled to stay in touch and collaborate with Fran as a means of professional development by supporting each other through shared knowledge and ideas. In addition, I hope to build up my pool of international contacts as well as learn more about and become involved in initiatives been taking by international early childhood organizations. 

            Many of the issues affecting the field of early childhood seem to be universal. There is much to be done in drawing more attention to the importance of the early learning years and securing more support for the field at a global level. I believe that if early childhood professionals, researchers and other practitioners throughout the world collaborated more on issues affecting the field and worked together on finding solutions, we would be one step closer to ensuring that all our children have the opportunity to get a good start in life.

Quality of Early Childhood Programs and Professionals in the Philippines

My contact Fran in the Philippines and I have been a bit behind in our communication. However, I thought what she had to say was worth sharing.

Teacher Qualifications: A college degree in education or a certain number of units on education courses as well as a Professional License for Teachers are necessary to be able to teach in both public and private schools.  Since Early Childhood Education was not a "requirement" until recently when the country implemented the K-12 curriculum, teachers in some small schools may not be required the license.

Quality of Early Childhood Programs in the Philippines:

 Kindergarten was only just recently required under the new curriculum and therefore there was no required curriculum for preschool levels until recently. There is also no governing body regulating or supervising our preschools.  There are many "small schools" that are found in villages, churches or even garages of homes.  Parents are most often the ones who would check on the quality of programs in the schools where they intend their children to stay.  As for the "big schools,"  the curriculum is usually designed to cater to the future needs of would be 1st grade students.  Access to quality care is not of priority especially for those living in poverty.  If given the choice, they would rather keep the children at home until they are ready for first grade as education is not a priority in their family expenses.  There are daycare centers and church organizations (who teach catechesis) which may offer free services for those who cannot afford early education but Fran was not sure of their conditions.

Issues regarding quality and early childhood professionals:

Many of the issues involve financial assistance and support to the early childhood programs in the country.  As many live in poverty, early childhood (and education at that) is not on top of their priorities.  However, the government is acting on this by educating even parents about their responsibility to send their children to school and provide for their schooling as well.

With regard to the teachers, there are colleges and universities offering courses in education specifically for early childhood.  These programs are important as the needs of children in preschools differ from those in primary or secondary school.  With the teachers' license test however, there are tests for primary and secondary school educators but none for early childhood.  Early childhood thus falls under general education for primary school teachers.  Approaches in teaching as well as how schools are run are mostly decided upon by owners of the schools who may or may not have any education degree. 

The issue of how to regulate preschools still remain.  Teachers' benefits vary from school to school and salaries are dependent on the employer (hopefully, within minimum wage).

Opportunities and/or requirements for professional development:

At the school she currently teaches in, Fran and the staff is given many opportunities for professional development.  They have access to on-site trainings and are also given the opportunity to attend any outside trainings that are relevant. While a Masters is not required, the teachers are encouraged to do so as it will support them in getting promoted as well as a salary increase. The school also provides grants for teachers to support further education.

Professional goals:

Fran is currently in the process of completing her Master's degree.  She has been able to apply her learning to her teaching in the classroom. She hopes to continue her education and share her knowledge with her co-teachers.  She has been teaching preschool for 9 years and would like to try teaching Kindergarten next.

Professional hopes, dreams, and challenges

Fran hopes to see the Philippines succeed in the their K+12 program.  She believes in the program but there are many are against it since it would mean more years in school resulting in a longer wait to become employed.  According to Fran, many also don't take Kindergarten seriously and see it as merely play time for kids.  They don't realize that play is work for the children and they learn through it.  Socialization in this level also is very underrated.  People don't realize what develops when 4-5 year olds interact and learn from each other.  Fran hopes that these perceptions will eventually change.