GRACE MISSION COLLEGE

THE CHILD AND ADOLESCENT LEARNERS AND LEARNING PRINCIPLES

NOTES II

November 5. 2022

RESEARCH IN CHILD AND ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT

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 learners and their
families.
 Well-informed teachers are able to 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 the 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.

The Scientific Method

 One more important principle in research is adherence to the

scientific, since research is a systematic and a logical process.
 As such, researchers basically follow the scientific method.
 Dewey gave us 5 steps of the scientific method. They are as follows:

Prepared By: Rea Jane F. Ornedo

 1. Identify and define the problem
- Simply explained, identifying the research problem is the first
step.
2. Determine the hypothesis
- This is followed by stating a tentative answer to the research
problem called hypothesis.
- The hypothesis is also referred to as an “educated guess”
3. Collect and analyze data
- How correct is your “educated guess” or “hypothesis”?
- If your 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 called
Experimental Research
- However, if your research problem is concerned with describing
data and characteristics about the subjects or phenomenon
you are studying, you do not need to perform an experiment.
This is called Descriptive Research
4. Formulate conclusions
- After analyzing the data, you formulate your conclusions.
5. Apply conclusions to the original hypothesis
- Compare your conclusions 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 does not jibe with your finding and conclusions,
reject your original hypothesis.

RESEARCH DESIGNS

 Researches that are done with high level of quality and integrity
provide us with valuable information about child and adolescent
development.

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  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 and describes below:

Research Design Description Strengths Weaknesses

1. Case Study an in-depth look It provides Need to exercise
at an individual information caution when
about an generalizing from
individual’s the information;
fears, hopes, the subject of a
fantasies, case study is
traumatic unique, with a
experiences, genetic make-up
upbringing, and experiences
family no one else
relationships, shares; involves
health, and judgments of
anything that unknown
helps a reliability, in that
psychologist usually no check
understand that is made to see if
person’s other
development. psychologists
(Santrock, 2002) agree with other
observations.
(Santrock, 2002)
2. Correlational A research Useful because Not involve the
Study design that the more manipulation of
determines strongly two factors, it is not a
associations events are dependable way
correlated, the to isolate cause

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 more we can (Kantowitz, et.,
predict one from al., 2001 cited by
the other Santrock, 2002)
3. Experimenta A research The only true Experimental
l design that reliable method research is
determines of establishing limited to what is
cause-and-effect cause and effect observable,
relationships. testable and
The experimental manipulable.
method involves
manipulating Failure to achieve
one variable to randomization
determine if may limit the
changes in one extent to which
variable cause the study sample
changes in is representative
another variable. of the parent
This method population and,
relies on with it,
controlled generalizability of
methods, the findings of
random the study.
assignment and
the manipulation Experimentation

of variables to with humans is

test a subject to a

hypothesis. number of
external
influences that
may dilute the
study results

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 (Donnan, 2000).

A further
limitation of
experimental
research is that
subjects may
change their
behavior or
respond in a
specific manner
simply because of
awareness of
being observed
(Hawthorne effect
Haughey, 1994;
Clifford, 1997)
4. Naturalistic A research one of the the
Observation design that advantages of disadvantages of
focuses on this type of naturalistic
children’s research is that observation
experiences in it allows the include the fact
natural settings. researcher to that it can be
directly observe difficult to
This does not the subject in a determine the
involve any natural setting. exact cause of a
intervention or behavior and the
manipulation on experimenter
the part of the cannot control
researcher. outside variables

This technique

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 involves
observing
subjects in their
natural
environment.

This type of
research is often
utilized in
situations where
conducting lab
research is
unrealistic, cost
prohibited or
would unduly
affect the
subject’s
behavior
5. Longitudinal This research Allows them to They are
design studies record and expensive and
and follows monitor time-consuming.
through a single developmental
group over a trends The longer the
period of time. study lasts, the
The same more subjects
individuals are drop out- they
studied over a move, get sick,
period of time, lose interest, etc.
usually several Subjects can bias
years or more. the outcome of a
study, because
those who remain

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 may be dissimilar
to those who
drop out.
6. Cross- A research Allows them to It gives no
Sectional strategy in which record and information
individuals of monitor about how
different ages are developmental individuals
compared at one trend. The change or about
time. researcher does the stability of
not have to wait their
for the characteristics
individuals to
grow up and
become older
7. Sequential This is the Allows them to It is complex,
combined cross- record and expensive, and
sectional and monitor time consuming.
longitudinal development
approaches to trends. It
learn about life- provides
span information that
development is impossible to
(Schaie, 1993 obtain from
cited by cross-sectional
Santrock, 2002) or longitudinal
approaches
This starts with alone.
a cross-sectional ( Santrock, 2002)
study that
includes
individuals of
different ages. A

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 number of
months or years
after the initial
assessment, the
same individuals
are tested again-
this is the
longitudinal
aspect of the
design. At this
later time, a new
group of subjects
is assessed at
each grade level
8. Action Action research Appropriate in a Typically takes
Research is a reflective particular setting place in one
process of when the organization only
progressive purpose of study at a particular
problem solving is “to create time and could
led by changes and not be
individuals gain information interpreted
working with on processes and within different
others in teams outcome of the organizations in
or as part of a strategies used” the same way.
“community of (Hunt 1987) Therefore,
practice” to research findings
improve the way Uses different are hard
they address methods, can get (impossible) to
issues and solve the best out of generalize.
problems the different
(Wikipedia, the methods If research
employed, if done participants do

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 free well. not feel they
encyclopedia) understand and
Stakeholders are ‘own’ the
In the context of included research project,
teaching, action throughout and this could lead to
researches of so researchers a potential
teachers stem are more likely to conflict of
from their own make a interest between
questions about “difference” the researcher
and reflections and those
on their everyday participating in
classroom the organization,
practice. but also between
the research with
some
participants, on
the one hand and
other members of
the organization,
on the other.

DATA GATHERING TECHNIQUES

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 Data Gathering Definition/Description
Technique
1. Observation Observations can be made in either laboratories or
natural settings. In naturalistic observation, behavior
is observed in the real world like classrooms, home in
neighborhood.
2. Physiological Certain indicators of children’s development such as,
Measures among others, heart rate, hormonal levels, bone
growth, body weight, and brain activity are measured.
3. Standardized These are prepared tests that assess individuals’
performance in different domains. These tests are
administered in a consistent manner.
4. Interviews and Involving asking the participants to provide
Questionnaire information about themselves based on the interview
s 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
Records chronology of events and 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.

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ETHICAL PRINCIPLES

 to serve the genuine purposes of research, teacher researchers are

subject to ethical principles.
 Just as we have the Code of Ethics that governs the behavior of
teachers, there 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 standards 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/Policy/1.112a.PDF

Common among the three standards are 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

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 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 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.

THE DATA PRIVICY ACT OF 2012 (R.A. 10173)

 this law was passed in the Philippines in 2012 “to protect the
fundamental human right of privacy of communication while
ensuring free flow of information to promote innovation and growth
 the law states that the collection of personal data “must be a
declared, specified, and legitimate purpose and that … consent us
required prior to the collection of all personal data.”
 For more details, read RA 10173

IMPACT OF TEACHERS’ RESEARCH INVOLVMENT 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 and more open
and committed to professional development (Oja & Pine 1989; Henson
1996; Keyes 2000; Rust 2007)
2. Participating in teacher research also helps teachers become more
deliberate in their decision-making and actions in the classroom.

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 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).

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“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the
world”- Aristotle

Study well!!!! <3

Prepared By: Rea Jane F. Ornedo