Child and

Adolescent
Development
Looking at Learners at Different
Life Stages

EDUC 50
 UNIT 1: BASIC CONCEPTS AND ISSUES ON
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
Part I: Introduction

Module 4: Research in Child and Adolescent Development

Teacher as Consumers/ End Users of Research

Research gives teachers and also policy-makers important knowledge to use in decision-
making for the benefit of learners and their families. It can help teachers, to be more
knowledgeable about how to fit our teaching with the developmental levels of our learners.

Teachers as Researchers
The conduct of research is also for students and teachers. It helps in learning how to conduct
research by finding out the different research principles and the research methods and designs
with focus on a given topic.

The Scientific Method

Adherence to the scientific method which is a systematic and a logical process is important
in research. Dewey gave 5 steps in doing the scientific method:
1. Identify and define the problem
2. Determine the hypothesis
3. Collect and analyze the data
4. Formulate conclusions
5. Apply conclusions to the original hypothesis
Simply explained, identifying the research problem is the first step. Followed by stating a
tentative answer to the research problem called hypothesis, also referred to as an educated guess.
If the research problem is concerned with determining the cause of an effect of a phenomenon,
you have to gather and analyze data derived from an experiment. This is true with experimental
research. But is the problem is concerned with describing data and characteristics about the
subjects or phenomenon, you do not perform an experiment, this is descriptive research. And
after analyzing the data, you formulate the conclusions.
Compare your conclusions to your original hypothesis to find out if the original is correct or
not. If it the conclusion corresponds to the original hypothesis, affirm it. If not, reject the original
hypothesis.
Research Design
Researches that are done with high level of quality and integrity provides valuable
information. To conduct such quality research, it is important to know various research designs
and different data-gathering techniques.
 Research Designs
1.Case Study - an in-depth look at an individual.
 Provides info about an individuals personal development involving the
environment where he/she grew up.
 But it needs caution when generalizing information, for each subject is unique from
others
2.Correlational Study - determines associations
 Useful because the more strongly the two events are correlated, the more we can
predict one from the other.
 It does not involve manipulation of factors, it is not a dependable way to isolate
cause.
3.Experimental - determines cause-and-effect relationships. Involves manipulating the
variables to determine if changes in one variable causes change in another. It relies on
controlled methods, random assignments and manipulations of variable to test hypothesis.
 Only true reliable method of establishing cause and effect
 Limited to what is observed, testable and manipulated, failure to achieve
randomization may limit extent to which the study is representative of the parent
population.
 Experimentation with human is subject to a number of external influences that may
dilute the study results.
4.Naturalistic Observation - focuses on children’s experiences in natural settings. Does
not involve any intervention or manipulation. Involves observing subjects in their natural
environment and is often utilized in situation where conducting research is unrealistic, cost-
prohibitive or would unduly affect the subject’s behavior.
 It allows the researcher to directly observe the subject in natural setting
 It can be difficult to determine the exact cause of behavior and the researcher
cannot control outside variable.
5.Longitudinal - it studies and follows through a single group over a period of time.
 Allows them to record and monitor developmental trends
 Expensive and time-consuming. The longer the study lasts, the more subjects drop
out.
6.Cross Sectional - individuals of different ages are compared at one time
  Allows them to record and monitor developmental trends, the researcher does not
have to wait for the individual to grow older.
 Gives no information how individuals change or about the stability of their
characteristics
7.Sequential - combined cross-sectional and longitudinal approaches to learn about life-
span development. Starts at cross-sectional and shifts to longitudinal
 Allows them to record and monitor developmental trends, provides information that
is difficult to obtain alone
 Complex and expensive and time-consuming
8.Action Research - a reflective process of progressive problem-solving led by
individuals working with others as part of a community of practice to improve the way they
address issues and solve problems.
 Appropriate in particular setting when the purpose of study is to create changes and
gain information on processes and outcome of strategies used. Stakeholders are
included and are more likely to make a difference.
 Takes place in one organization only at a particular time and could not be
interpreted within different organizations in the same way so research findings are
hard to generalise.
 Data-Gathering Techniques
1. Observation - can be made in laboratories or materialistic settings in naturalistic
observation, behavior is observed in the real world like classrooms, home, neighborhood
etc.
2. Physiological Measures - children’s development such as; heart rate, hormonal levels,
bone growth, body weight and brain activities are measured.
3. Standardized Tests - prepared tests that assess individuals’ performance in different

domains. These are administered in a consistent manner.

4. Interviews and Questionnaires - involves asking the participants to provide

information about themselves, gathering of data can be through printed questionnaires, over
the telephone, by mail, in person or online. Standardized procedure is utilized so same
questions are asked to each participants.
5. Life History Records - records or information about a lifetime chronology of events
and activities. Involve public records or historical documents or interviews with respondent.
Ethical Principles
For genuine purposes, researchers are subjected to ethical principles. These ethical
standards serve as reminders that we should strive to protect the subjects of our study and to
maintain the integrity of our research. These can be found in;
 Ethical standards of the American Educational Research Association
 Ethical Standards for Research with Children - Society for Research in Child
Development (USA)
 Standards of the American Psychological Association Concerning Research
Common among the 3 standards given above are the following considerations for researches
conducted with young children and other vulnerable population which are enumerated by the
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
1. Research procedures must never harm children in all aspect
2. Children and their families have the right to full information about the study they will
participate including benefits and risks. Their decision to participate is based on
“informed consent.”
3. Questions by the participant should be answered truthfully in a way they can
understand. Researchers must be honest and clear in their communication.
4. There should be respect for privacy. Information obtained should remain confidential
and should never be disclosed in written or oral discussions.

Impact of Teachers’ Research Involvement on Teachers

Research has proven that teachers have everything to gain and nothing to lose when
involved in a research process.
1. Teachers involved may became more reflective, critical and analytical in their teaching.
More open and committed to professional development.
2. Helps teachers become more deliberate in their decision-making and actions in the
classroom
3. Develops professional dispositions of lifelong learning, reflective and mindful teaching
and self-transformation.
4. Lead to rethinking and reconstructing what it means to be a teacher or educator, and the
way they relate to their learners.
5. Has the potential to demonstrate to teachers and prospective teachers that learning to
teach is inherently connected to learning to inquire.
Teacher involvement in the conduct of teacher research shows a shift from thinking about
teacher research as something done to teachers to something done by teachers.