Module 4

Research in Child and Adolescent Development

Learning Outcomes:
At end of this module, you should be able to:

1. explain the basic principles of research

2. demonstrate appreciation of the role of teachers as consumers and producers of
developmental research
3. read researches on child and adolescent development and make simple abstracts out of
researches read.

Introduction:
You may have a separate 3-unit ourse on research. This module is not intended to be a substitute
for that three-unit course. It is simply meant to supplement what you got or will still get in the research
course.

As you may have noticed, most if not all of what is presented about the development of a child
and the adolescent are products of research. It might interest you to know how these concepts/theories
were arrived at. Or after having been exposed to a number of research cited in this course, hopefully,
you may be so inspired that you, too, would like to start conducting researches on your own or join a
group of research.

Activity:
Read each statement below. D you agree/disagree with each statement? Put a check mark (/) to
indicate your answer.

Statement Yes No
1. Research is only for those who plan to take master’s degree
or doctorate degrees.
2. Research is easy to do.
3. Research is all about giving questionnaires and tallying the
response.
4. Research with one or two respondents is not a valid
research.
5. Teachers, because they are busy in their classrooms, are
expected to use existing research rather than conduct their
own research in the classroom.
6. There is no need to go into research because a lot of
researches have already been conducted.
7. Students are mere users of knowledge arrived at by
research. It is not their task to conduct research.
8. It is not worth conducting research considering the time and
money it requires.
Analysis:
Share your answers among classmates. Explain among yourselves your side.

Abstraction:
Your answers to the short questionnaire indicate your basic attitude about research. As a pre-
service teacher, it is important to have a positive regard for research. Best practices in education are
usually borne out of research. Research informs practice.

All of the topics discussed in this module is, one way or another, a product of research. Research is
a very reliable means for teachers to learn about child and adolescent development. When conducted in
an appropriate and accurate manner, it becomes a strong basis for making decisions about the things
you will do as an effective teacher.

Teachers as Consumers/End users of research

Research gives teachers and also policy makers important knowledge to use in decision making for
the benefit of learner and their families. Well informed teachers can use and integrate the most
authoritative research findings. Research enables teachers to come up with informed decision on what
to teach and how to teach. This involves decisions related to educational policies, curriculum, effective
teaching-learning processes and even those involving research, too. It can help us, teachers, to be more
knowledgeable about how to fit our teaching with developmental levels of our learners.

Teachers as Researchers
The conduct of research does not only belong to thesis and dissertation writers. It is for students
and teachers, too. Let us learn to conduct research by finding out the different research principles and
the research methods and designs with focus on child and adolescent development.

The Scientific Method

One important principle in research is adherence to the scientific method. since research is a
systematic and a logical process. As such research basically follow the scientific method. Dewey gave us
5 steps of the scientific method. They are as follows:

1. Identify and define the problem

2. Determine the hypothesis
3. Collect and analyze data
4. Formulate conclusions
5. Apply conclusions to the original hypothesis

Simply explained, identifying the research problem is the first step. This is followed by stating a
tentative answer to the research problem called the hypothesis. The hypothesis is also referred to
as an “educated guess” How correct s your educated guess” or “ hypothesis”? If you research
problem is concerned with determining the cause of an effect or a phenomenon you have to gather
and analyze data derived from an experiment. This is true with experimental research. However, if
your research problem is concerned with describing data and characteristics about the subject or
 phenomenon you are studying, you do not need to perform an experiment. This is descriptive
research. After analyzing the data, you formulate your conclusions.

Compare your conclusion to your original hypothesis to find out if your original hypothesis is
correct or not. If your original hypothesis jibes with your finding and conclusion, affirm your
hypothesis. If your original hypothesis does not jibe your finding and conclusions, reject your original
hypothesis.

Research Designs
Research that are done with high level of quality and integrity provide us with valuable
information about child and adolescent development. To be able to conduct quality research, it is
important that you know various research designs and different data gathering techniques used by
developmental researchers. Some are given below: (Look for its DESCRIPTION, STRENGTHS, AND
WEAKNESSES, make sure you will)

Research Design
1. Case study
2. Correlational Study
3. Experimental
4. Naturalistic Observation
5. Longitudinal
6. Cross-sectional
7. Sequential
8. Action research

Data-Gathering Techniques
Data-Gathering Definition/Description
Technique
1. Observation Observation can be made in either laboratories or materialistic settings in
naturalistic observation, behavior is observed in the real world like
classrooms, home in neighborhood

2. Physiological Certain indication of children’s development such as, among others, heart
Measures rate, hormonal levels, bone growth, body weight, and brain activity are
measured.

3. Standardized These are prepared tests that assess individuals’ performance in different
Tests domains. These tests are administered in a consistent manner.

4. Interviews and Involve asking the participants to provide information about themselves
Questionnaires based on the interview or questionnaire given by the researcher.

Gathering of data may be conducted through a printed questionnaire, over

the telephone, by mail, in person, or on-line
 Information is obtained by utilizing standardized procedures so that every
participant is asked the same questions in the same manner. It entails
asking participants for information in some structured format

5. Life-History These are records of information about a lifetime chronology of events and
Records activities. They often involve a combination of data records on education,
work, family, and residence. These include public records or historical
documents or interviews with respondent .

Ethical Principles
To serve the genuine purposes of research, teachers’ researchers are subject to ethical
principles. Just as we have the Code of Ethics that governs the behavior of teachers, there are also exist
ethical standards that guide the conduct of research. These ethical standards serve as reminders that as
researchers, we should strive to protect the subjects of our study and to maintain the integrity of our
research. Details of these ethical principles are found in documents such as the following:

1. Ethical standard of the American Educational Research association

http://www.aera.net/uploadedFiles/About AERA/Ethical Standards/EthicalStandards.pdf

2. Ethical Standards for Research with Children – society for research in child development (USA)
http://www.srcd.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=68&Itemid=110

3. Standards of the American Psychological association Concerning research

http://www.lcsc.edu/policy/1.112aPDF

We invite you to read and reflect on them.

Common among the three 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).

Some key points are:

1. Research procedures must never harm children, physically or psychologically.
2. Children and their families have the right to full information about the research in which
they may participate, including possible risks and benefits. Their decision to participate must
be based on what is called “informed consent.” There must be informed consent procedures
with research participants.
3. Children’s questions about the research should be answered in a truthful manner and in a
ways that children can understand researchers must be honest and clear in their
communication.
4. There should be respect for privacy. Information obtained through research with children
should remain confidential. Researchers should not disclose personal information or the
identity of participants in written or oral reports and discussions.
Impact of Teacher’s Research Involvement on Teachers
Research itself has proven that teachers have everything to gain and nothing to lose when they
get involved in the research process. Evidence suggests that:

1. Teachers who have been involved in research may become more reflective, more critical
and analytical in their teaching, more open and committed to professional development
(Oja & Pine 1989: Henson 1996; Keyes 2000; Rust 2007).
2. Participating in teacher research also help teachers become more deliberate in their
decision-making and actions in the classroom.
3. Teacher research develops the professional dispositions of lifelong learning, reflective and
mindful teaching and self-transformation (Mills 2000; Stringer 2007).
4. Engaging in teacher research at any level may lead to rethinking and reconstructing what it
means to be a teacher or teacher educator and , consequently, the way teachers relate to
children and students.
5. Teacher research has the potential to demonstrate to teachers and prospective teachers
that learning to teach is inherently connected to learning to inquire (Borko, Liston, &
Whitcomb 2007).

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 (Zeichner 1999;
Lampert 2000).

APPLICATION
1. The class may be divided into groups. Except this Module on Research, divide the Modules in
this book among the group, Go over the Modules of the Unit assign to your group and look for
statements of research findings. If the research design and the data gathering techniques were
not identified, identify to the best of your ability what must have been used in the researches .
The table below can make your task easier.

Unit/Module Statement of Page Research Data-Gathering

Research Finding Design Used technique
2. A Research Abstract – A research abstract is a brief summary that appears at the beginning of
the article. It has the following parts:
 Title
 Researcher/s
 Date of Research
 Introduction
 Methods
 Findings/Results of the Study
 Conclusions and Recommendations
 References

The first three (3) are self-explanatory and so need no further explanation. The introduction, as
the title implies, introduces the problem or issue that is being studied. It includes a concise
review of research relevant to the topic, theoretical ties, and one or more hypotheses to be
tested. The method section consists of a clear description of the subjects evaluated in the study,
the measures used and the procedures that were followed. The results section reports the
analysis of the data collected. The conclusions and recommendations state the author/s’
answers to the specific problems of the study and suggestions on the next steps based on the
findings and conclusions of the study. Methods, Findings/Results of the study and Conclusion
and Recommendations constitute the Body of the Abstract. The last part of the abstract is the
references. These include bibliographic information for each source cited in the research report.

Surf the internet for samples of research abstracts/researches on child and adolescent
development. Select one research abstract then using the matrix given below, write the
problem, the research methodology, the findings and conclusions.
BIG IDEAS
1. Quality research adheres to the scientific method.
2. For research on child and adolescent development to serve its ultimate purpose,
researchers must be governed by ethical principles.
3. There are various research design and data gathering techniques.which research design and
data gathering technique to use depends on the nature of the research problem and
objective/s of the research.
4. Teachers are both produces of knowledge when they conduct research and are consumer or
end users of knowledge when they utilize research findings to improve instruction.
5. Research has a transformative effect on teachers’ self- understanding and on their
classroom practice. It enables teachers to develop a better understanding of themselves,
their classroom, and their practice through the act of reflective inquiry.

TASK #2:

To be submitted at the google classroom, read research on child and adolescent

development and make simple research abstracts out of research read. Follow the parts given.

“Deadline, a day before final exam.”

Child and Adolescent Development

Looking at Learners at Different Life Stages
( Corpuz, Lucas, Borabo, Lucido)