Research Topic

My original topic of interest for my research was to study how the environmental factors in which a child is raised can have an effect on his or her social and emotional development throughout childhood and into adulthood.  My subtopics included; the effects of losing a parent, the difference/importance of sibling bonds, and the effects of spoiling versus depriving our children.

I chose these topics based on my experiences as a teacher throughout my career.  I have only worked with two extreme demographics of children for long periods of time; rich, elite, white children or poor, underprivileged, ethnic children; both of various ages.  I have seen how these groups have behaved as small children, as well as how they grow into young adults.  I have always wondered how my student’s lives have affected them mentally and physically and how their relationships will suffer and/or prosper in the future because of the environments in which they were raised.

I feel that what will be most relevant to my current job and passions would be to research the effects of traumatic experiences at an early age, and how it will have an effect on one’s social and emotional development from childhood through adulthood.  My greatest challenge with choosing this topic is that “trauma” is rather broad.  However, I feel that by researching the effects of different traumatic situations and how they will impact a child’s social and emotional development, I will be better able to understand my students and the defense mechanisms and attachment issues they have developed over time.   I’m hoping after reading this blog entry, some of my colleagues could offer some insight on how I can narrow this topic further without completely altering the goals of my research.

The charts have been helpful in teaching me how to collect relevant information on topics.  They assist me in organizing my thoughts and truly breaking down my research into usable pieces of information to share.  I’m hoping that my colleagues will not only help me in refining my area of study, but also with locating quality sites where I can locate research material.  I’m having difficulty locating related documents on the Walden Library link.  I am wondering if maybe I’m using incorrect keywords, or if someone is aware of a journal I could look up directly to find relevant articles. 

I look forward to learning what each of you will be researching and collaborating with all of you on obtaining your materials.  I hope to share many insightful conversations about our experiences within the classrooms and our challenges and accomplishments in conducting this research.