Early Childhood Research Select a topic that relates to the field of ECE and critically review Select one methodology and examine it's appropriateness in the ECE.

Essay by Sarah5215University, Bachelor'sA, August 2010

download word file, 4 pages 0.0

Downloaded 19 times

James Lochead-MacMillan ID 12413

According to Bell (1997) (cited in Mutch, 2005) before you ask yourself which methodology you use for your research you often need to answer the question "What do I need to know and why?" (Bell, 1997, p.63, cited in Mutch, 2005 p.108). Mutch, 2005, goes on to say that the methodology is chosen to best answer the question. The methodology or method is a process or processes used to gather our data. Mutch, 2005, defines methodologies as a selection of related methods and strategies that "link theoretical frameworks to methods" (Mutch, 2005, p108) and methods as a process or strategy set to gather one kind of data.

Experimentation is one research methodology that can be used. "Experiment based research is considered by some to be the highest level and most pure form of research" (New Zealand Tertiary College [NZTC], 2009, p.20). According to Mutch, 2005, an experiment is a form of research design to control the variables to examine the effects and outcomes.

Due to the control element the results will not be confused or confounded by outside influence, this makes experimental research effective and informative (NZTC, 2009).

One of the features of experimental research is the selection of two groups (NZTC, 2009), one group usually given the new treatment and the other being known as the control (Mutch, 2005). Once the experiment is finished outcomes are compared between the groups (NZTC, 2009) to give data. If the groups have been carefully selected then any differences found at the end "are said to be the effect of the treatment" (Charles & Mertler, 2002, p.30, cited in NZTC, 2009, p.21).

However, group selection can be questioned in terms of reliability or validity if the researcher is leaning towards their own personal agenda and choosing participants guided by...