SE6P00 Earlier Childhood Studies

You will demonstrate your ability to write and research independently in the project.  

The project should generally contain the following elements, although the relevance to any particular project will vary:

An abstract of no more than 250 words.

A title and contents page.

An introduction to the study, outlining its main aims and the issues addressed and the rationale / context for the study of approximately 800 words

A review of the literature central to the area studied of approximately 2,000-2,500 words.

A discussion of the methods of investigation used, indicating reasons for their selection, appropriateness to and effectiveness for the study of approximately 2,000-2,500 words.

A presentation of the main findings from the data collected discussed in relation to research and theories (confirmatory and critical) relevant to the topic as identified in the literature review and in relation to the particular aims of the project. Approximately 2,500-3,000 words

Conclusions. These may include a discussion of alternative strategies that could have been adopted and/or implications for further work.  Students should comment on how the project has furthered professional development. Approximately 800 words

Acknowledgements, and at the end of the dissertation, any appendices and a reference section.

The interview questions for practitioners

1. Why is outdoor play/water play important for children?   

2. What do you think children can learn through water play?

Area of development?

What about Social interactions?

Imagination?

3. What do you need for water play?

Equipment?

Time, frequency?

Motivation?

4. What are the risks involved in this activity?

Risk assessment?

5. How do you support learning and development?

Literature review

· Introduction to the literature:

In this section, describe how your literature is organise

· What is Play

o Definition of play

o Types of play (you can discuss various classifications, by a very important one is child-initiated vs adult led)

o The role of the adult in supporting play

o Sustained share thinking

· Outdoor area and water play

o What is the outdoor area

o What water play is

o Importance of water play

· Practitioners perspectives of play (or if possible of outdoor play)

· Wrapping up:

You need to summarise and identify the niche of your research

Objectives:

My research comprises three objectives:

1. To understand practitioner’s perceptions about children’s use and engagement in water play

2. To identify some of the ways in which children engage in water play in the outdoor area.

3. To understand the interactions that take place during water play between children and practitioners and among children.

Methodology

· The methodology that I am going to use is qualitative methodology .

· the paradigm I am going to use is interpretative. The Four interviews will be semi-structured interview for the practitioners. The age group of the children will be from 3-4 years old and it will be four observations for per child. On the observation will be me observing the children while another practitioners supporting the children.