When I Think of Research...

...I realize just how much I have learned. Research is a complex process and so many different factors must be analyzed in order for it to work properly. My ideas about the nature of research have changed in the sense that it is much more complicated than one might think. You have to think your research design through very thoroughly before you can begin. I learned that in the early stages of forming your research design you must decide what the research question is going to be, how you will measure that question and who/what you will use to measure it. The challenges for me in my research simulation were identifying the independent and dependent variables. I have had a very difficult time grasping the concept of variables even though I could easily define them on paper. As with every course, my respect and admiration for Early Childhood professionals grows. They do not receive enough credit for all that they do and that needs to change!