Page 4 - LESSION 14.pmd

Methods of Child Study

• Validity: This refers to the fact that the tool should assess or measure what
it is supposed to measure, and not something else. For example, a test of
Notes intelligence, should be meaningful for intelligence and not some other
quality.

• Standardisation: It is a process of establishing the reliability and validity
of the tool by administering it on a large population.This means that the
test has to be administered and scored in a consistent manner for the entire
population.

INTEXT QUESTIONS 14.1

A. State whether the following statements are true or false:

1. Observing a selected group of children at regular intervals is a
longitudinal study.
2. Children cannot be part of research study as they have to grow.
3. Reliability is when, on repeated use, questions are understood
differently.

4. Validity is when the technique measures what it is supposed to
measure.
5. Standardized tests are constructed on large populations to ensure their
worth and value.

B. List the different types of research designs.

14.2.2 Observation

Observation is a method for understanding changes during early childhood and
gaining insightful learning regarding behaviour patterns of children. It is a useful
technique of studying young children, and also as a supplement to other
techniques. It is the systematic observation of activities of the person who is
under observation. To observe means to examine an object, or an individual,
or group of people, or an event with all of the senses. Observation being directly
observing behaviour with the purpose of describing, it helps in recording
changes to discuss with parents or write reports on children. In observations,
it is important to plan the procedure before-hand to ensure good results. Some
examples of methods of observation and recording include:

Time-Sampling: requires taking short and uniform time periods to observe to
note down children’s behaviour. For example, taking observation notes of the
bahaviour under study after a gap of every 15 minutes.

82 EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION