Conducting Research in Early Childhood Education: A Review of Guy Roberts-Holmes' Doing Your Early Years Research Project: A Step-by-Step Guide

Reviewer's Statement Picture a college student who is working on an Associate's Degree in Early Childhood conducting real-world research in a natural setting with students in early childhood education. As a professor of doctoral level students and a director of human resources for a school system, that image sparked my attention as I read and thought about the power of this research book. Doing Your Early Years Research Project by Guy Roberts-Holmes strengthens the rigor, differentiation and real world experiences of college students by providing a step-by-step resource on how to properly conduct research with young students. Colleges and school systems should consider research a fundamental component of what students and professionals do each day. This book challenges the mindset that research is for graduate students, and more specifically, doctoral level students. Roberts-Holmes (2014) states, "... research is simply a tool, and as with any other tool, when you learn what it does, why it has been invented and how to use it, it becomes beneficial to you" (p. 3). Why do colleges not take advantage of resources and books such as this one to make research a common practice in courses? What does your personal story have to do with research? Roberts-Holmes (2014) challenges readers/researchers to reflect on their own personal story, the heart aspect, and to combine this passion with the needs of early years and the researcher's future career, the head aspect, when deciding on a research topic and methodology. According to Roberts-Holmes (2014), methodology "refers to the principles and values, philosophies and ideologies, that underpin your research" (p. 23). He helps new researchers by having actual students/researchers share their personal story and methodology and showing how they are connected. For example, when Lucy was younger, she had a violent father, which resulted in her hating violence. Lucy wanted to gain more knowledge about children's viewpoint of domestic violence and raise awareness about domestic violence with the professionals working with children. Because of her personal story, Lucy's methodology included feminism and child-centered education. This is a prime example of a student researcher combining the heart aspect with the head aspect and making a positive difference in the real world. Roberts-Holmes (2014) challenges readers to ask, "How have the researcher's personal and professional issues been combined (p. 24)? What do ethical issues look like in early childhood research? According to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (United Nations, 1989), "children have the right to hold an opinion about issues concerning them ... children have the right to be included in research which affects them" (Article 12). Although researchers are conducting a study with children, it is imperative that researchers respect the relationship and considers the child's perspective as valid and worthwhile. One challenge with children is the "disparities in power and status between adults and children" (Roberts-Holmes, 2014, p. 55). If the power is abused and not used correctly, this may affect the quality and reliability of the data and the study. Another challenge when working with children is that informed consent is an ongoing process that may change based on the child's desire, and the researcher has to respect this decision. Most importantly, researchers must find the balance between the participation of children and the protection from risk of children. If researchers are going to involve children in a study, the results and conclusions should benefit children. Why are observations important in early childhood research? One key purpose of qualitative research is to see the world from someone else's perspective, worldview, and mental model. Observations allow researchers the emic perspective of observing students in their natural setting while completing routine activities and events in social situations. …