The scientific method is an approach used by psychologists and researchers who want to have a systematic and objective way of recording and understanding behaviour and any other topic that may be of interest. It is comprised of four main steps that will be discussed below, along with my example research situation. Before a researcher can dive into doing research, s/he must identify a question of interest. The researcher might make an observation of some strange phenomena or even everyday behaviour that begs for an explanation. It might be something they saw, were told or read from previous literature or findings. In my example case, a researcher passing a primary school playground makes an observation that between the children, the boys …show more content…
With the operational definition in hand, the researcher must now select an appropriate research method. There are multiple research methods that the researcher can choose from under the umbrella of descriptive research and there is also experimental research. For my example, the researcher will use both types of research. Under descriptive research, they will use archival research to find existing data from police records to see a list of juvenile crime. They will use naturalistic observation, with permission of the school, to simply record the natural behaviour of the boys in the playground without the children knowing that they are being observed, so that their behaviour is authentic and representative of how they usually behave. The researcher could conduct surveys to send to a representative sample of the parents from multiple schools and ask questions in relation to, how many boys there are in the household, what ages, the boys behaviour etc. The researcher must keep in mind that the surveys may lose a certain percentage of validity if the parents do not answer the questions truthfully. The researcher could also do correlational research to find out whether there is a positive correlation between having more boys in the household means more aggressive behaviour. Correlational research examines the relationship between two variables to determine whether they are correlated. The researcher can even conduct an experiment, where the researcher could place a mix of children (subjects) in a controlled situation where they can be observed. The researcher would change a variable to see how the change would affect the children (subjects). In this case, the researcher could test whether putting more boys in a room to play together, would make them exhibit more aggressive behaviour. The researcher could even create an artificial event of some sort, like adding an interesting desirable toy in the room, to see how
The Week 4 assignments are addressed on how to use the observational tools in order to evaluate the development and create the activities that promote young children 's development. For example, assignment 4.3 Running Record is one of useful observational tools that educators can use. It requires sensitive observation and writing skills in order to collect detailed information. By using the running record, educator can use the data to evaluate the development of the child and create helpful activities that will help the development of the child.
In conclusion, the characteristics of the scientific method are far from few. Most distinctly, science deals with the uncertainty of the unknown, attempting to make it known. Though complicated, Barry explains his beliefs on the scientific method with strong diction to show the formality of science, rhetorical questions to show the uncertainty, and logos to show the intellect of science. His rhetorical strategies help the audience understand the plethora of characteristics in the realm of
The three different research methods are naturalistic observations, surveys, and case studies. A naturalistic observation is when someone is observing people or animals in a natural environment or set. A naturalistic observation would be good to use when you observing people in a a cafeteria. For example under appropriate conditions, you can observe the amount of people who naturally order healthy food verses unhealthy food. Naturalistic observation are good only if you take the time to observe people in their natural environments.
The researchers have no idea what is happening to the children when they leave to go home from the program. I found myself asking “How to the teachers and the researchers know for sure that these kids are gaining something from this
This research fits into my research easily as my research also focuses on child abuse as a social problem. This research explains different kinds of child abuse and then explains the reasons for them. This is where this research adds stronger argument in favor of my research. “What is Child Abuse”.
What is Research? It is a careful investigation of a problem in a scientific manner, especially to search for new facts in any side of knowledge. And it is searching for theory or opinion for testing them or for solving issues. And a scientific way for answering questions and testing hypotheses.
The benefits of this method are that it enables the researcher to observe a direct, first-hand and original account of the child's experience. In addition, the multifaceted and rich data can be generated. On the other hand, it can be hard for an adult to 'blend in'. furthermore, in order to use ethnography, the researcher has to watch and observe from distance for a while to start with and wait until to be approached and invited by children into their social world (Brownlow,
1. Define research, nursing research, and evidence-based practice, and describe the purposes of research in implementing an evidence-based practice. Research is investigating and studying of materials and sources to establish facts and reach new conclusions or to report knowledge about something. Research can also mean to validate something that already exists based on some kind of theory.
The term ‘scientific method’ means a way of discovering things whether it’d be a phenomena or trying to gain new knowledge. Furthermore a ‘scientific method’ can also be used to correct or adjust old knowledge to better support a theory with new ideas or knowledge. The use of the term ‘Scientific Method’ first came in to use during the 17th Century in between the years of 1850-1855. The general difference between science and pseudoscience is that science is based on theories which can be altered if they conflict with experiments and evidence and can be supported by experiments of scientific methods, however pseudoscience less evidence based and more based on belief and stories told by predecessors and claimed to be real but lack the evidence needed to support them. For example a difference between Darwin’s Theory and ‘Ancient Astronaut theory’ is that Darwin’s
The scientific method is paramount to scientists and their studies. Barry affirms, “Ultimately a scientist
Every research project provides a link between a paradigm, epistemology, theoretical perspective, and research practice. A paradigm is identified in any school of thought – the integrated worldviews held by researchers and people in general that determine how these individuals perceive and attempt to comprehend truth (Fitzpatrick, Sanders, & Worthen, 2003). Furthermore, a paradigm includes an epistemological belief as well as an ontological belief that, when combined together, govern perceptions and choices made in the pursuit of scientific truth. In practice, individuals’ epistemological beliefs determine how they think knowledge or truth can be comprehended, what problems – if any – are associated with various views of pursuing and presenting knowledge and what role researchers play in its discovery (Robson, 2002). Different epistemologies offer different views of researchers’ relationships with their object of inquiry.
The three descriptive research methods that I will discuss are Naturalistic Observation, Survey, and Case Study. Naturalistic Observation is a research method in which people or animals are observed in their natural habitat without any controls or variables. This type of research method may be conducted if you want to see how people truly act without being watched. For example, this research method may be used to determine who are healthier shoppers, men or women? The researcher would go to a food store and take count throughout the day of how many men and women he finds in the fruit and vegetable isles, and how many he find in the snack isles.
It’s a quantitative method that is specifically used in psychology researches and it examines whether two variables such as events, behaviuors, properties, and characteristics are casually related. In other words, it is a scientific and systematic approach to research, in which the researcher can manipulate and control the variables i,e an independent variable is manipulated and the dependent variable is measured and it could be called a true experiment. The main advantage of this method is that it allows us to determine and regulate cause and effect, and further it allows us to control the effects of extraneous variables. Experimental method involves some kind of measurement and a mathematical calculation is frequently involved.
Observation is the tool that practitioners use to obtain the necessary information that helps them to plan effectively for each child. Observations are considered to be an important part while working with the children. There are number of reasons why recorded observations are required. To plan for individual children’s needs-
A way to encourage scientific enquiry in the classroom is through the use of practical investigations. In the context of thinking and working scientifically, investigations are activities where children can use their conceptual understanding and knowledge of science to find solutions to problems and questions (Skamp, 2012). Supported by Ward et al. (2006) who say that the term investigation is used for activities requiring children to make choices about what to change and measure. Instances where science lessons are practical and focus on the development skills linked with scientific enquiry and where emphasis was placed on the children carrying out investigations independently, were the most beneficial (Ofsted 2010).