When I Think of Research

When I think of early childhood research I think it should explore how different types of classrooms where young children spend their time have an impact on how they learn and grow, thereby providing current and more accurate data on policies and practices and what works and why. I also think that a lack of orientation and experience on how to interpret the research method and how the process results in the cumulative development of knowledge that contributes to validated instructional practice has hampered teachers' ability to be involved and successful be researchers contributors, independent evaluators of research evidence, and users of educational science A lack of orientation and experience on how to interpret the research method and how the process results in the cumulative development of knowledge that contributes to validated instructional practice has hampered teachers' ability to be involved and successful users of educational science (Stanovich & Stanovich, 2003).

Why is your simulation important to the field of early childhood?

Our culture is what shapes us; it shapes our behavior and our identity. Culture is our way of living, it refers to the shared language, beliefs, values, norms, behaviors, and material objects that are passed down from one generation to the next. Cultural diversity is important because our country, workplaces, and schools increasingly consist of various cultural, racial, and ethnic groups (Partnership International (2016). We can learn from one another, but first, we must have a level of understanding about each other. Learning about other cultures helps us understand different perspectives within the world in which we live. It helps dispel negative stereotypes and personal biases about different groups. In addition, cultural diversity helps us recognize and respect “ways of being” that are not necessarily our own, so that as we interact with others we can build bridges to trust, respect, and understanding across cultures.

Early childhood providers are called upon to do many difficult tasks! One of the most difficult of these is providing our children with diverse, multicultural experiences and finding ways to help children build positive relationships and respect for others. Since diversity and multicultural education must occur all the time in early childhood programs, we need to look at ways that we can make our curriculum and instruction as multicultural and diverse as possible (Wardle, 2008).

My topic focused on examining how multicultural materials in early childhood classroom influences and fosters acceptance of diversity towards others. We need to teach our children that “normal” comes in many shapes, sizes, and colors. Diversity through play is achieved by having a variety of toys, music, clothes, books, food, and art that highlight and celebrate similarities, as well as differences. In the context of the research I can find information on what works and why, there is a wide range of benefits to researching your own practice. My research is important because we as educators need to know the purpose of materials in our classrooms. All materials in a classroom are teaching tools it is important to know if there are effective, and how children can benefit from them.

If you were to conduct your simulation proposal, who would benefit?

Mixing the culture of children's toys can prepare the for the mixture of cultures in society.

Even if they don't see all of the different cultures everyday at school, they might notice when they get out into the real world. When it comes to toys that teach diversity, race is only a single piece of a much larger puzzle. Differences in physical characteristics are obvious, but there’s a deeper level of teaching that can be achieved through pretend play one that helps your child build a strong sense of self-worth, identity, and acceptance of others. Play time is a learning experience, so giving them the tools that they need to learn as much as they can about the world from the beginning can help them develop health relationships throughout life. Children benefit when there is an inclusive range of diversity toys, materials and activities. Having the age-appropriate multicultural available for children to explore and interact with will allow them to learn about themselves and others. The findings of my simulation can help programs and educators understand what children can gain from the usage of multicultural materials and activities so that they can invest in making sure all early childhood classrooms have these materials to expose children to diversity.

What are some of the ways your perceptions of an early childhood professional have been modified as a result of this course?

My research simulation has provided me with an insight on how to understand and conduct that scientific process. My topic focused on examining how multicultural materials in early childhood classroom influences and fosters acceptance of diversity towards others. In the context of the research I can find information on what works and why, there is a wide range of benefits to researching my own practice. Learning about the different approaches, the guidelines, and terminology has opened a new meaning of research for me. I can appreciate those who have contributed to the field of research because It entails a lot of hard work. Learning how to cultivate a research-based approach to developing my practice provides evidence on how to effectively change in my teaching, my classroom, my school, and beyond. 2010).

References

Partnership International. (2016). Why is cultural diversity important? Retrieved from https://www.partnershipinternational.ie/why-is-cultural-diversity-important/

Stanovich, P. & Stanovich, K. (2010). Using research and reason in education: How teachers can use scientifically based research to make curricular & instructional decisions. Retrieved from https://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubs/using_research_stanovich

Wardle, F. (2008). Diversity in early childhood programs. Retrieved from http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=548