1. We must deeply reflect on the problems existing in the current topic selection of teachers
The so-called educational scientific research topics are the problems or phenomena that occur in the field of education that researchers want to study. .In the process of educational scientific research, once an educational scientific research topic is determined, it means that the tasks and directions of the entire educational research are also determined. Educational scientific research topics are related to the value of educational scientific research and determine the success or failure of educational scientific research. Therefore, some people He once vividly compared the determination of educational and scientific research topics to the heart of the entire educational and scientific research process. The importance of the selection of educational and scientific research topics can be seen from this. However, there are many kindergarten teachers, especially those engaged in kindergarten education research experience. Not many novices often choose education and scientific research topics that are too broad to be controlled by their personal research energy; or the relevant knowledge and research tasks involved in the topic are far beyond their capabilities. Beyond the scope of personal research ability. Choosing such a "large and difficult" topic for research often directly results in the difficulty of running the topic research on a scientific and effective track. The topic research is either abandoned halfway or makes random nonsense. The so-called "research results". This will not only seriously dampen the enthusiasm of researchers for research; it will also bring some negative effects to educational and scientific research, such as damaging the dignity that educational and scientific research should have - respect for facts. The author believes that , the reason why kindergarten teachers currently have the above-mentioned "large and difficult" problem in the selection of educational and scientific research topics may be due to the following two aspects.
1. Lack of determination of one item Techniques for Appropriate Research Topics
Research begins with a problem, and from the discovery of the problem to the time when the problem enters the substantive research stage, it is necessary to do a good job of "selecting from 'problem' to 'topic'". The complexity of educational problems determines that the actual content covered by an educational problem is often not single, but multi-level and multi-faceted. The problem often represents only the field or category involved in the research. If researchers To carry out in-depth research on the "discovered problem", it is necessary to conduct a detailed analysis of the information contained in the problem, and then select a research topic based on the actual situation (subjective and objective conditions of the researcher). , to conduct research on problems that need to be solved. The identified problem that can be studied and needs to be solved is the subject to be studied.
For example, a researcher found that many kindergartens currently carry out "preschool education" "English education", some even claim that "English education" is the characteristic of the kindergarten, and there is a vague trend of "preschool English education" in the early childhood education circle. The researcher feels that it is necessary and capable to conduct a research on this issue. Then, when doing substantive research on this issue, she must first conduct a detailed analysis of the "information" covered by this issue. The author believes that in terms of the content covered, this issue (Kindergarten English Education Questions) include at least the following "small" issues: research on the goals, principles, approaches, methods, methods, management and evaluation of early childhood English education, research on the construction of early childhood English education teaching materials, design of toy teaching aids, and environmental creation, early childhood English education Research on the relationship between children's physical and mental development, and other course learning content, etc.; the research methods used include at least the literature method, educational survey method, educational experiment method, educational action research method, educational experience summary method, etc.; in terms of the research methods In terms of objects, there are three age groups: large, medium and small in urban gardens and rural gardens; etc. On the basis of this analysis, the researcher can select a certain "small" problem according to the actual situation. Key research. Obviously, if the researcher directly takes the problem discovered as his personal research topic, that is, "research on early childhood English education issues", then the scope of this "topic" can be huge. As you can imagine, the reason why the topics chosen by many novices in kindergarten education research are "too big" is probably because they directly treat "problems" as "topics" to study. On the contrary, if researchers use education The action research method is more suitable and feasible to only study "the issue of effective methods of early childhood English education".
2. There is a desire to conduct research like an expert. Due to various reasons, The role of primary and secondary school teachers has been outside of researchers for a long time. In their view, conducting educational research seems to have become a patent for researchers in universities or specialized research institutions. Therefore, once the role of educational research is removed, When the rights were returned to the hands of teachers who had not been doing research for a long time, they
We can only sincerely strive to carry out some research according to the expert research paradigm, and there is a mentality of wanting to carry out research like experts
. This is specifically reflected in: many kindergarten teachers mention project research. The object must be something that has never been done by others, and the research results are best to
fill a certain gap" or must be "experimental research." One-sidedly, it is believed that only such topics are "Meaningful" is "standardized" research. Therefore, every time we choose a topic, we will always rack our brains on the "innovation" and "standardization" of the topic. However, as everyone knows, the more we want to reach the level of expert research, For most kindergarten teachers, the subject of "innovation and standardization" on the subject, the farther away it is from their educational practice experience and actual research ability, the less "feasible" the research is. This may be due to Maybe it’s because the topics chosen by kindergarten teachers are “difficult”.
Due to differences in the professional training they receive and the nature of the work they undertake. If we want to require kindergarten teachers in primary and secondary schools to also be like It is unrealistic, both in theory and in fact, to conduct research like experts with "specialized skills" and to evaluate or manage the educational research work of primary and secondary school teachers based on expert research standards. For example, Many kindergarten teachers are optimistic about "experimental research". Regardless of whether the current "educational experimental research" has developed in the direction of "multi-factor design" or more emphasis on "overall causality", some kindergarten teachers have written in the In the reports of "Experimental Research on ×××", how was the experiment conducted? (What are the experimental factors?) There is often little or vague introduction. As for how to effectively control irrelevant factors? The experimental results are unclear. How to obtain it reliably? Wait, just don’t mention it at all. From such experimental reports, we can infer that some kindergarten teachers need to further understand some basic norms of "experimental research"; or that kindergarten teachers participate The strength of scientific research is not "experimental research". Perhaps it is more suitable for them to carry out "narrative research", "action research", etc. How can such facts be studied like experts?
Jiang Therefore, more and more school education researchers have realized that teachers' educational research should be different from experts' research. This is not only that the focus of the educational research they carry out should be different, but also that That is to say, the so-called "top sky" and "standing ground" research, more importantly, their research paradigms should also have certain differences, including the value, nature and characteristics of teacher education scientific research, as well as the corresponding management and evaluation understanding and construction of mechanisms, etc. In short, the paradigm of expert research cannot be simply imposed on teacher education research. As far as the selection criteria and sources of teacher education research topics are concerned, at present, many experts have increasingly converged on this Understanding: "The topics teachers study should be real problems encountered in their own education and teaching practice. They should be issues that they are interested in studying and related to improving and enhancing their own teaching practices, and they really need to be carried out in depth in the form of topics. Research questions" ①; "For kindergarten teachers, discovering problems from their own practice and using them as their own research topics is the basic idea for establishing research topics" ②.
2. Important Be proficient in the selection of scientific research topics for kindergarten teacher education
Whether you can choose a good topic mainly depends on the professional accomplishment of the researcher (professional sensitivity and professional insight), as well as the researcher The specific positioning of participating in educational research. Of course, it is also necessary to understand and be familiar with some common ways of selecting topics. Especially for novices in kindergarten education research, it has more practical significance and is a "compulsory course" for them to engage in educational research. "One Lesson".
1. Select a topic from educational practice
Select a topic from educational practice, which is determined by the purpose, nature and characteristics of teacher education research is also a basic idea advocated by current teacher education research institutes. To select topics from this approach, more specifically, you can start from the following aspects.
① Select topics from difficult problems to train people The educational work of shaping people is a highly creative mental work, and it is also an intricate systematic project. In specific educational practice, we often encounter various difficult problems with certain universality. For example, in kindergartens, we often encounter some "naughty children
" who give teachers headaches. Then, the characteristics, causes, and effective educational strategies of "naughty children" are undoubtedly worthy of our study.
If the topic selection can start from this point, it can better reflect the guiding role of scientific research in practice.
② Select topics from the controversial issues. The controversial issues are often urgent concerns in educational reform and development. Hot issues to be solved. If researchers can select a suitable topic to study from the controversial issues where different people have different opinions and opinions, so as to test the opinions of each and form their own opinions. For example, whether preschool children can learn On the issue of foreign languages, some people advocate teaching young children to learn foreign languages, believing that the preschool period is a critical period for language formation and development, and it is a pity to miss this period; others are opposed to this approach, and they believe that children should have a happy childhood. , we cannot let monotonous and boring learning occupy children's childhood. In this stalemate debate, researchers can select some related topics to conduct empirical research, such as "Experimental Research on Children's English Learning in Large Classes", "Children's English Learning "Investigation and research on interests", etc.
③Choose topics from blind spots. Some of the problems existing in the field of early childhood education may be familiar, while others may be new. Such problems often arise. Being ignored or not taken seriously by people. Especially some interdisciplinary issues, because researchers are restricted by their professional training and other factors, it is easy for the research on these "issues" to be in a "blind spot" state. If Researchers who can keenly select a topic from the "blind spot" issues to conduct research are often more likely to produce results. For example, "research on computer-assisted education for young children", "research on ecological education for young children", etc.
2. Select topics from issues of interest
Generally speaking, researchers usually invest more energy in paying attention to issues that interest them. Therefore, they are more focused on the issues. The understanding and mastery are often more comprehensive and in-depth. If the topic is selected from this point, it will not only help to dig out valuable topics, but also be conducive to the high-quality completion of the research tasks. Because the topic that the researcher studies is one of its In this way, even if they encounter difficulties in research, researchers can often persevere, overcome many difficulties, and devote themselves to the research work of the topic tirelessly.
3. Select topics from theoretical study
There is a large amount of theoretical literature in the field of education, which requires teachers to learn and understand. Strengthening the study of theory can not only improve the theoretical level of researchers, but also provide researchers with many valuable studies Topic.
① Topics can be selected from the actions of verifying and drawing on a certain theoretical point of view. As a feature of the development trend of contemporary educational scientific research - cross-cultural research, that is, repeating existing research to explore different cultures The uniqueness and difference of education in the background. For example, Chinese early childhood education researchers have conducted verification studies on Piaget's theories on children's thinking development, and practical research on Reggio Emilia's early childhood education ideas in mainland China, etc., fall into this category. Types of topics.
② Educational research can be carried out by selecting topics from sorting out and studying educational heritage. Of course, we must pay attention to the trend of international development and strengthen foreign learning, but we must not weaken our appreciation of local excellence because of "worshiping foreigners and favoring foreigners" The inheritance and expansion of educational heritage. As far as early childhood education research is concerned, if everyone can study Mr. Chen (Heqin)'s educational thoughts in depth, maybe in this new round of curriculum reform, we will not be like now. "Noisy", even confused.
4. Select topics from the research plan
Educational administrative leaders at all levels from the central to local levels will be based on the national four modernization construction and reform and opening up. According to the needs of education's own development, educational scientific research plans are regularly formulated; various educational research societies at all levels and various educational magazines will also provide a certain range of topic selections. Researchers can, based on their own subjective and objective conditions, Choose a topic that you are qualified for