Assessment

Word Limit: 2000 words.

Task

There is a wealth of research that has been and is being done into early childhood development, learning and practice. The practice of critical teacher-research requires thoughtful and careful analysis of research. Two articles have been selected for this assignment for critique.
The qualitative article can be accessed from the following link:

Lee, S., & Goh, G. (201). Action research to address the transition from kindergarten to primary school: Children's authentic learning, construction play, and pretend play. Early Childhood Research & Practice. 14(1). Retrieved from http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v14n1/lee.html

The quantitative article can be accessed from the following link:

Edwards, B., Taylor, M., & Fiorini, M. (2011). Who gets the ‘gift of time' in Australia?

Exploring delayed primary school entry. Australian Review of Public Affairs, 10(1), 41-60. Retrieved from http://www.australianreview.net/journal/v10/n1/edwards_etal.html[E1]

Critical Evaluation of Two Research Articles.

Write a brief summary and critical evaluation of the two research articles (included above). For each of the two articles, write a summary and critical evaluation based on questions adapted from McMillan, J. H. and Wergin, J. F. (2010). Understanding and evaluating educational research. Upper Saddle River: Pearson/Merrill.

The summary should address the following questions:

-What is the year of publication and location of the study?

- What is/are the research question(s) being addressed?

- What methods were used that address the research questions?

- What were the major findings?

- What are the implications of the findings to the field of early childhood education?

The critical evaluation should address the following questions:

- Is the sample population described adequately? What further information would you need to know? and why?

- What are the strengths and weaknesses of the methodology and paradigm used to answer the research questions?

- What were the ethical considerations in this study and were they fully addressed by the researchers?

- To what extent is generalization appropriate for the goal or aim of the research context (or what might generalization not be appropriate to the research context?)? What factors might influence generalisability?

- In what ways does this research challenge or support general or your own long-held beliefs and practice?

You should incorporate references beyond the class notes to support your ideas.

Rationale

Summary and Critical Evaluation of Two Research Studies - Finding and selecting relevant research, and developing the ability to think critically about the question, the methods, and the conclusions will help you to make good use of the wealth of research that is available to inform our decisions as educators.

This assessment allows you to demonstrate the degree to which you have met the following learning objectives for this subject:

o evaluate the appropriateness of different research approaches to investigating and addressing problems in early childhood education;

o understand the different paradigms within which research in early childhood education is situated and explain the implications for the research process;

o describe and comment upon current research in early childhood education;

o analyze and critique reports of research into early childhood education / practice;

o identify some research methods useful for educators' research on their own professional practice;

o understand how research is influenced by political, economic, and social forces in society;

o identify and discuss the ethical issues involved in research in early childhood education.