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A Research Study On Early Childhood Education

Decent Essays

In early childhood education, young children are starting to learn and understand the concept of gender. Preschool is the age when they start to develop and shape their views regarding gender roles. The population of children who are enrolled in early learning programs are being influenced by their parents, teachers, and classmates, as well as the learning environment they learn, play, and grow in.
I analyzed two different research studies, one quantitative and one qualitative, to compare and contrast both research methods. Qualitative research refers to an analysis method that collects descriptive (non-numerical) data, such as words, images, and objects, whereas quantitative research is used to test a hypothesis and look at the cause and effect of a prediction. Quantitative research collects numerical data or statistics from questionnaires and surveys, which are used to quantify attitudes, opinions, behaviors, and variables in an attempt to generalize the results.
The first study I examined was conducted by Kanka, Wagner, Schober, and Spiel (2011) and analyzed the gender-stereotyped attitudes and behaviors of kindergarten children and their parents. The second study, by Halim, Ruble, Tamis-LeMonda, and Shrout (2013), examined the effects of children’s gender attitudes and intergroup bias or stereotypes. Both of these studies relate to my capstone project because the research attempts to understand how children’s and families’ attitudes toward gender stereotypes affect home

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