Empirical Research Methodologies in Childcare

This assignment explores the empirical research methods used in childcare, including paradigm, positivism, and interpretivism. It discusses the application of these methodologies in child development research and provides a detailed analysis of each approach.

Running head: EARLY CHILDHOOD 0-5 (CHILDCARE)
EARLY CHILDHOOD 0-5 (CHILDCARE) MODULE 1 QUIZ
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

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Answer 1
Option A
The research process, which is utilizes the actual personal experiences of the people
within the society and does not depend on the theoretical aspects is known as the empirical
research procedure. According to Swanson (2012), empirical research method is known
interdisciplinary field of research that utilizes the concepts of sociology, psychology and
philosophy to collect data from the society. The analysis of the collected data are quite simple as
the data is the actual personal observation of the associated people extracted from the society for
the research purpose. This research method is generally used for childcare and child development
related research projects. As the data collected in the process represents the thought of society
and all the data are collected to determine the verdict of people regarding one aspect, the
effectiveness of the research gets enhanced more than other research techniques such as
empirical theoretical or basic research techniques. Further the tools used in the experimental
design, increases its suitability as usage of cross sectional analysis, robustness checking and
panel data IV methods enhances the reliability of the process (Mukherji & Albon, 2016).
Answer 2
Option F
In the experimental sense, paradigm is the experimental setup that contains several
experimental standards or frameworks, determined to provide the experimental design with the
support of some fine-tuned standards. Therefore, in the aspect of behavioral sciences, paradigm
helps the research with providing an aspect utilizing which, will provide the researchers with a

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way to conduct the respective experiment (Swanson, 2012). These frameworks are inclusive of
concepts, theories, postulated, methods to conduct research that creates a justified means for the
contribution in the research method. Therefore, in the given question, paradigm refers to the
theoretical framework, that helps to develop a research method and hence helps to achieve the
goals determined for the respective research (Mukherji & Albon, 2016).
Answer 3
Option D
In the empirical research method, the paradigm of positivism is referred as the means of
determining the social reality and was first described by the French philosopher August Comte,
according to whom, there are two means to understand the social behavior of human such as
observation and reason (Taylor & Medina, 2013). This paradigm of positivism depends on
factual knowledge that is gained from the scientific observation and data interpretation is done
by the researcher through scientific measures. The research in this process focuses on the
explanation of scientific observation and predict the consequences. In the child care research
process, implementation of paradigm of positivism helps to conduct inductive reasoning and
develop hypothesis. Therefore, using these the researchers are able to compare their knowledge
and assumptions against the concept of object reality (Mukherji & Albon, 2016).
Answer 4
Option C
In this paradigm, the relation between the research topic and the participants is
subjective, as it is based on the understanding of the world and related experiences of the

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participants. This process uses methodologies such as questionnaires, interviews, polls, which
are completely subjective as the individuals experience will determine the responses (Goldkuhl,
2012). Therefore, this method is generally related to the quantitative method of researches, where
such tools are used to collect and interpret data. Therefore, the combination of trained researcher
and the subjective thinking of human, their observations and interviews creates dilemma for data
interpretation. Therefore, from the given option, understanding of social phenomenon or the way
people determines meaning of any phenomenon complies with the paradigm of interpretivism
(Mukherji & Albon, 2016).

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References
Goldkuhl, G. (2012). Pragmatism vs interpretivism in qualitative information systems
research. European journal of information systems, 21(2), 135-146.
Mukherji, P., & Albon, D. (2016). Research methods in early childhood: An introductory guide,
3rd Edn, pp. 7-145, Sage.
Swanson, K. M. (2012). Empirical development of a middle range theory of caring. Caring in
Nursing Classics: An Essential Resource, 211.
Taylor, P. C., & Medina, M. N. D. (2013). Educational research paradigms: From positivism to
multiparadigmatic. The Journal of Meaning-Centered Education, 1(2), 1-13.