Comprehensive Exam

Question # 1

Qualitative Research

Background

The purpose of this research is to determine whether childhood is the result of social and cultural expectations. Having carried out previous researches on the same subject, Jane Bone establishes that childhood is the time when a person faces a myriad of unique experiences (Bone, 2008). She adds that these experiences are cocooned from real-life, explaining how their joys and sorrows make children active participants of life. Te Whariki is hopeful that children will be able to have a healthy mind, body and spirit (Bone, 2008).

Method

The research method used in the selected study is chosen while keeping in mind the objectives of the study. For example, the primary emphasis of the study was on various ways in which giving attention to the spiritual helps in the overall wellbeing and prosperity of young children. Because the research was focused on finding out how young children's spiritual experiences were promoted within three unique educational settings, three different qualitative studies have been used for the study (Bone, 2008). The research involved studying the educational environments for young children in Rudolf Steiner Kindergarten (Waldorf), Montessori casa, and a private preschool. The researcher therefore gathered data by participating with children, interviewing teachers, and organizing focus groups that involved the feedback of parents (Bone, 2008). The teachers were also encouraged to volunteer in the study and express their views on spirituality.

Process

The research was conducted in three different educational settings. The experiences of randomly chosen children were recorded in the form of qualitative interviews that encouraged open-ended questioning and communication (Bone, 2008). As a result, the children were able to answer freely without any restrictions or limitations to their answers. The researcher was able to gather comprehensive data on the experiences of the young children and this allowed them to make a better assessment of the manner in which the educational setting for young children has a direct effect on their spiritual development (Bone, 2008). The interviews of three children were reported in the study, mainly because they showed rather disturbing behaviour for someone of their age. As a result, their behavioural patterns were evaluated and the researcher set out to alter these patterns with the help of support and guidance (Bone, 2008).

Findings

In the three places where the qualitative research was conducted, the children included in the study exhibited a wide range of experiences, clearly indicating how mobile and adaptable childhood is (Bone, 2008). The findings derived from the research demonstrate how the educational setting for early childhood is a place where the spiritual support and development can emerge as an integral part of everyday pedagogical practices. However, the spaces for transformation and connection that are described in the study can as easily be utilized in more direct therapeutic settings (Bone, 2008). It was also learned that many rituals can be adopted to speed up the process of spiritual recovery while the kind of environment that a person is provided also plays a crucial role in their ...