A research question I am considering is “What is the impact of educator’s beliefs and perceptions on the disproportionate suspension rates of children of color in kindergarten?” I am interested in this topic because there may be an emerging pattern across Indianapolis schools which needs to be understood. If a pattern exists at the kindergarten level, this pattern may reveal deeply rooted social issues which adversely impact the long term academic achievement of children, specifically children of color.
The research chart made me think about my research question in a more scholarly way, but now I am almost paranoid. Now, I think about is my subtopic too narrow, should my topic be more global, how much do I actually know about this topic to develop a theoretical framework, will I be able to add anything original to what is already known, and do I understand the similarities/differences in existing research?
There are resources available on this topic when I search in Google Scholar. My colleagues also have books on this topic. I am not sure, however, how many of these resources reach down to the kindergarten level. Since many of you are in the early childhood field, do you have any insights or additional resources you can share on this topic? For anyone interested in disproportional discipline in schools, the Equity Project at Indiana University, http://www.indiana.edu/~equity/index.php, meets the criteria for a quality resource and includes abundant references for further investigation.
Joy, I'm fascinated by your topic, especially since it is connected to the community in which you are a part of. I too have struggled with refining, to limiting, and to refocusing my research topic / subtopic. Through this course we can look forward to strengthening our skills in this area so that our topic remains focused, engaging, and meaningful. I believe your topic is incredibly important for all children involved in your school district because each child is affected if this pattern exists. Good luck and I look forward to learning along with you!
ReplyDeleteI think you also have a very interesting topic. I think when it comes to research it is hard to find a subtopic, and then I know myself I am also worried about being able to find original and adequate resources to support my topic. I hope through this course we can strengthen our abilities to do research and feel more confident when engaging in research in the future.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds very interesting. I am very interested in how educators own perceptions effect how they deliver services to children and families. Has this topic been hard to find information on? That's the problem I am running into with my topic.
ReplyDeleteYour topic is a great one. In particular, I feel that your topic is one of the best I have heard thus far because it sounds like it relates directly to your own community and you can have a great deal of impact with your potential research. It sounds as though you may have the opportunity to utilize other scholarly information and resources by interviewing colleagues and families in your community as part of your research as well.
ReplyDeleteJoy,
ReplyDeleteI too like many of our classmates think you have a interesting topic of research. I think you will be able to find sources to reference. You may need to start researching globally then narrow you search based on what you found globally. Good luck!!
I have enjoyed reading your blog. I have never look at your topic from that frame of mind. I do work very closely with the kindergarten teacher at my center and will ask him for information on your topic.
ReplyDelete