"What a useful book for the beginner researcher! Offering a grounding in the different kinds of research conducted in the field of early childhood, this book’s inviting and accessible style will support the novice researcher, and the development of criticality in relation to research." Deborah Albon, Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Studies, University of Roehampton What does the term ‘research’ in early childhood actually mean? What does research involve, and how do you go about doing it? This book explains exactly what ‘research’ is; it explores key ideas, themes and terminology to provide you with a clear understanding of its importance to your early years or early childhood studies degree. It will help you: · Understand what it means to think critically, and unpick childhood research · Learn how to analyse, examine and understand the importance of others’ research · Get to know how research is designed and carried out · Appreciate the importance of ethics · Get to grips with translating research into real life in an early childhood setting. Laying the foundations to develop your confidence in talking about research and making links between theory and practice, this book will support you as you begin your research journey into the world of early years. Polly Bolshaw is a Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Studies at Canterbury Christ Church University. Jo Josephidou is a Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Studies at Canterbury Christ Church University. Polly Bolshaw and Jo Josephidou will be discussing ideas from Introducing Research in Early Childhood in Doing Your Early Years Research Project, a SAGE Masterclass for early years students and practitioners in collaboration with Kathy Brodie. Find out more here.

Introducing research to early childhood students.

Introducing research to early childhood students.

'How I wish I'd had a book like this when I first started my career as a researcher into early years education and care! There's something for everyone, and I wholeheartedly commend it to those embarking upon, or wishing to extend their knowledge of, early childhood research; - Professor Emeritus Janet Moyles, Early Years & Play Consultant 'This text covers an excellent range of issues. In particular, the mix of academic background to topics and practical application will make it an excellent resource for students' - Damien Fitzgerald, Principal Lecturer in Early Childhood Studies, Sheffield Hallam University This highly engaging and easy-to-read introductory text is tailored to meet the needs of early childhood students. It includes practical examples of research with and about young children and babies, and encourages the reader to take an interactive approach. By offering clear guidance on research methods, as well as advice on how to develop skills as a researcher, the book takes students step by step through the process of doing a research project and provides a detailed grounding in the subject. The book covers: - an introduction to research methodology - various approaches to research, including action research - designing a questionnaire - carrying out observations and interviews - undertaking a piece of independent research from start to finish - understanding and critiquing the research of others - ethical issues in early childhood research - real life examples of how to tackle different aspects of research The authors break down the content into four main sections: Paradigms and Principles; Approaches to Research; Methods; Carrying out a Research Project. Each chapter contains learning objectives, case studies, research in focus sections, reflection points, a summary and suggestions for further reading. The language used throughout is accessible, and a full glossary of terms is included. This book is indispensible for all students undertaking research in early childhood. Penny Mukherji and Deborah Albon are both Senior Lecturers in Early Childhood Studies at London Metropolitan University.

Introducing Research to Early Childhood Students is not about how to do research. It is about assisting pre-service students to become confident research readers. How to enjoy reading research, how to question it, how to identify its basic strengths and weaknesses, and how to use it to stimulate one's own professional thinking, are the sub themes of this text. To this end a range of research issues have been contextualised into familiar early childhood topics that are relevant to students across all years of pre-service preparation and that relate to the core areas of learning environments and professional experience. Introducing Research to Early Childhood Students is therefore a course text and not a single subject text. The chapters on outdoor learning environments and play for example, relate more to the early stages of training and might best be used first. Students can return to the chapters at any time and work more specifically on the research or theoretical issues presented in them. Chapters do not have to be used in their entirety, instead specific sections can be selected for an in-depth focus.

`This multi-professional book is just what is needed for students and practitioners, as it raises important issues and challenges, and invites dialogue and reflection in a reader friendly way' - Tina Bruce, Freelance Consultant The second edition of this best-selling textbook provides students and practitioners with a broad introduction to the main theories and issues within the field of early childhood studies. The book adopts a multi-disciplinary approach and pulls together all the key themes involved in the study of young children and childhood, and successfully demonstrates how these can be translated into real-life practice. Written by a team of leading academics and practitioners, this is a lively and engaging textbook, illustrated throughout, with student-friendly features such as `real-life' case studies and guides for further reading. The chapters cover all key aspects of the curriculum, including: the sociololgy of childhood; child health; child development; and the realities of working with children. This thoroughly updated and revised new edition also includes completely new chapters on research with children and leadership in early year settings. It is a core text for all those involved in the study of childhood, particularly undergraduates in the fields of child social care; social work; social policy and education. It is also an invaluable resource for practitioners and policy makers working with children.

This book emphasizes the significance of teaching science in early childhood classrooms, reviews the research on what young children are likely to know about science and provides key points on effectively teaching science to young children. Science education, an integral part of national and state standards for early childhood classrooms, encompasses not only content-based instruction but also process skills, creativity, experimentation and problem-solving. By introducing science in developmentally appropriate ways, we can support young children’s sensory explorations of their world and provide them with foundational knowledge and skills for lifelong science learning, as well as an appreciation of nature. This book emphasizes the significance of teaching science in early childhood classrooms, reviews the research on what young children are likely to know about science, and provides key points on effectively teaching young children science. Common research methods used in the reviewed studies are identified, methodological concerns are discussed and methodological and theoretical advances are suggested.