Doing Early Childhood Research: International Perspectives on Theory and Practice Book

There are a growing number of courses on early childhood education at university level. This has placed new demands on both students and staff as research is a key feature of many of these courses. Research training is an important element in both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in early childhood education and there is a genuine need for an accessible textbook that addresses the particular research issues which are a feature of this important field. Doing Early Childhood Research introduces the most common qualitative and quantitative methods in the early childhood context. The contributors cover a wide range of conventional and newer approaches including observation, surveys, action research, ethnography, policy analysis and poststructuralist approaches. The reader is shown step by step how to select a topic, review the literature, design their research project, analyze data and produce a report. Throughout the emphasis is on practical application of the methods and the text is illustrated by a wide range of examples and case studies. Each chapter includes checklists, explanations of key concepts, annotated further reading and questions for reflection.Read More