1.

How children react to loss of parental care

There are many instances that children have to cope with loss of parental care as a result of death
of their mothers, separation of parents, assignment of a parent to distant places, among others.
This feeling of loss is generalized as grief. Although it is easy for adults to adjust to such
circumstances, questions arise as to whether children are able to cope.

Example Research Questions:

 What are the causes of grief among children?

 How do babies express their grief?
 How does grief affect children in various developmental stages?
 How do children cope up with the loss of a loved one?
 Is there a difference in the behavior of children who lost their mothers compared to those
who did not?

2. Early childhood development

Many mothers, especially those who are new, are very much concerned about the development
of their children. Nowadays, there are so many stresses in the environment that could threaten
the development of children. The following are questions on child development that research
could help shed light on.

Example Research Questions

 What are the early warning signs of abnormality among toddlers?

 Which intervention works best in addressing a specific type of abnormal behavior among
small children (e.g. inability to speak, inability to crawl, losing eye contact, inability to
respond to sound)
 Is there a relationship between frequency and duration of parent contact and child
development?
 How do mothers respond to signs of abnormality in their children?

3. Classroom and learning

There have been a considerable number of literature emphasizing the role of environment in
facilitating brain development. Intelligence cannot just be attributed to genes but also to the
surrounding environment. In educating children, the learning environment can play a very
significant role in shaping the minds of growing children. Classroom design is one such concern.

Example Research Questions

 General Question: Does classroom design affect children behavior?

 What are the development needs of children that can be addressed by classroom design?
 How can classroom designs be made more stimulating to children?
 Is there a relationship between classroom design and the number of uneasy children?
 How do placements of play structures influence children behavior?

4. Socialization among children

With the preponderance of the internet nowadays, children become more engrossed in their
laptops or desktop computers as part of their socialization activities. They now have more friends
in the internet than in real life. Teenagers, in particular, are beset by this problem. Since they
spend most of their time in front of computer screens, they were referred to as the “screenagers.”

There have been increased concern on children being unable to socialize effectively with real
persons as a result of too much “socialization” activity online. This also exposes them to grave
abuse as a result of their online ventures.

Example Research Questions

 Is there a relationship between the frequency and duration of online activity among
children and study time?
 Is there relationship between age and the type of online material visited by children?
 How do children respond to strangers requesting details about them?
 Is there a relationship between children’s irritability and intensity of computer use?
 What factors influence the time devoted by children to online activity?

Posts on ethnographic, naturalistic, anthropological, field, or participant observer research where

detailed data is gathered through open ended questions that provide direct quotations.
 20th Century Classroom
Time-based
Focus: memorization of discrete facts
Lessons focus on the lower level of
Bloom’s Taxonomy – knowledge,
comprehension, and application
Textbook-driven
Passive learning
Learners work in isolation, classroom
within four walls
Teacher-centered: teacher is center of
attention and provider of information
Little to no student freedom
“Discipline problems”educators do not No “discipline problems”- students and teachers have
trust students and vice-versa. No student mutually respectful relationship as co-learners; students
motivation.
Fragmented curriculum
Grades averaged
Low expectations
Teacher is judge. No one else sees
student work.
Curriculum/School is irrelevant and
meaningless to the students
Print is the primary vehicle of learning
and assessment.
Diversity in students is ignored.
21st Century Classroom
Outcome-based
Focus: what students Know, Can Do, and Like after all
the details are forgotten
Learning is designed on upper levels of Bloom’s
Taxonomy – synthesis, analysis, and evaluation
Research-driven
Active learning
Learners work collaboratively with classmates and
others around the world – the Global classroom
Student-centered: teacher is facilitator/coach
A great deal of student freedom
are highly motivated.
Integrated and interdisciplinary curriculum
Grades based on what was learned
High expectations – “If it isn’t good it isn’t done.” We
expect, and ensure, that all students succeed in learning
at high levels. Some may go higher – we get out of
their way to let them do that.
Self, peer, and other assessments. Public audience,
authentic assessments.
Curriculum is connected to students’ interests,
experiences, talents and the real world.
Performances, projects, and multiple forms of media are
used for learning and assessment.
Curriculum and instruction address student diversity.
Literacy is the 3 R’s: reading, writing and Multiple literacies of the 21st century – aligned to
math living and working in a globalized new millenium
Factory model, based upon the needs of
Global model, based upon the needs of a globalized,
employers for the Industrial Age of the
high-tech society.
19th century; scientific management

Driven by the NCLB and standardized Standardized testing has its place. Education is not
testing mania. driven by the NCLB and standardized testing mania.

Possible Research Topics

The interview data supports dozens of potential topics related to how immigration to Canada
affects the family. A focused research topic examines one aspect of the general topic from the
perspective of a particular group or groups, at particular times in particular settings.

Family-related Aspects of the Immigration Experience

 push and pull factors in the decision to immigrate to Canada
 chain migration, support networks of family, friends, compatriots, community
associations, social services
 cross-cultural encounters
 the role of English language in settlement and acculturation
 reconciling pre-immigration expectations and post-immigration experience
 maintenance, intensification or severing of relations with kin in Canada and in the home
country
 financial obligations of immigrants
 expectation of return to home country and/or decision to settle permanently in Canada
 formation of new social networks
 barriers and/or opportunities in education and employment
 changes in occupation
 changes in personal/family/ethnic identities
 changes in cultural or religious practices
 transmission of cultural traditions and values to the next generation
 changes in sexual relations and/or attitudes
 changes in process of finding a spouse/getting married
 changes in ceremonies marking rites of passage and death: coming of age, weddings,
birthdays, funerals
 changes in relations with spouse or intimate partner
 changes in ideal number or sex of children and/or aspirations for children
 changes in child-rearing practices
 changes in responsibility towards elderly parents, and/or parents' expectations of adult
children
  non-heterosexual and/or non-nuclear family forms
 family dissolution and reconstitution
 divisions of labour in the family
 ethnic language retention
 expectations about exogamy or endogamy
 patterns of residence and/or family living arrangements
 relations with other immigrant communities, dominant or minority groups

Possible Units of Comparison

 first and second generation immigrants
 family members before immigration and after

Possible Sub-populations for Focus or Comparison

 women
 men
 children or youth
 the elderly
 refugees
 single or divorced people
 married couples
 members of the working class or middle class/professionals
 members of oppressed castes or the dominant caste
 cultural minorities within a minority immigrant culture

Guidance & Counseling

1. College Placement Counseling

2. Substance Abuse Counseling
3. Academic Interventions
4. Counseling Methods
5. Counseling Students Who Are Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender or Questioning
6. Course Scheduling
7. School Guidance Centers
8. Testing & Evaluation
9. Multicultural Counseling Programs
10. Peer Counseling Programs
11. Vocational Counseling
12. School Psychologist, The

 History of Education

1. Modern European Influences on American Education

2. Chautauqua Movement, The
3. G.I. Bill & American Education, The
4. Minorities & Education in America
5. Women in Education
6. History of Teacher Education
 7. Education of Women in the U.S.
8. History of Public Education in the U.S.
9. Social History of American Education
10. Educational Reform Movements
11. Early Roots of Modern American Education, The

 International Perspectives

1. Inclusive Education in Developing Countries

2. National Education Plans
3. Charities & Global Education
4. Esperanto
5. Study Abroad Programs
6. Comparative Education
7. International Scholarship Programs
8. Globalization & Education
9. International Education Indicators
10. Teacher Shortages
11. UNESCO/Education for All
12. Training for International Teachers
13. Skills Development Programs
14. Gender Disparities in World Education
15. Poverty Reduction Strategies
16. Teaching in Developing Countries

 School Safety

1. Zero Tolerance Policies

2. Conflict Mediation
3. Drug & Alcohol Prevention Programs
4. Juvenile Delinquency/Truancy
5. Laboratory Safety in the Schools
6. School Health Services
7. Hazing
8. Violence Prevention
9. School Security
10. Weapons in the Schools
11. Bullying
12. Crisis Management
13. Dress Codes & Uniforms in Public Schools
14. Internet Safety
15. Social Concerns Among Students

 Service Learning

1. Student Leadership
2. Community Service Education
3. Service Learning for Disabled Students
4. Civics Education in the Schools
5. Community-School Partnerships
 6. Parent Volunteers in Schools
7. Volunteer Teaching Opportunities
8. Values, Character & Moral Education
9. Evaluation of Service Learning Programs

 Teacher Education

1. Teacher Competency Evaluation

2. Pre-practicum & Practicum
3. Master Teachers
4. Continuing Education
5. Teacher Certification & Licensure
6. Highly Qualified Teachers
7. Government Assistance for Teacher Education
8. Teacher Mentoring
9. Capstone Courses & Experiences
10. Teachers' Computer Literacy
11. In-Service Education Programs
12. Microteaching Labs
13. Employment Opportunities in Teaching
14. Teacher Peer Assessment
15. Student Evaluation of Teachers

 Technology in Education

1. Artificial Intelligence in Schools

2. Technology Access Gap
3. Integrated Learning Systems
4. Computer Assisted Instruction
5. Web-based Instruction
6. STEM fields & STEM Education
7. Educational Software
8. Virtual Learning in the Public Schools
9. Hypermedia in Education
10. Intelligent Tutoring Systems
11. Computers in the Classroom
12. Anchored Instruction
13. Free & Open Source Software in Education
14. Assistive Technology in Education

 Education & the Law

1. Academic Freedom
2. Title IX
3. School Prayer
4. No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
5. Teacher Misconduct
6. Random Drug Testing in School
7. Faculty Rights
8. Inclusive Education Laws
9. Freedom of Religion & Public Education
10. Freedom of Expression & Public Education
11. School Desegregation
12. Fear of Litigation
13. Student Rights in the Public Schools
14. Evolution vs. Creation
15. Sexual Misconduct in the Schools
16. Out of School Faculty Behavior
17. Parental Rights & Public Education
18. Search & Seizure in the Public Schools
19. Dispensing Birth Control in Public Schools
20. Equal Educational Opportunity
21. School Discipline
22. Undocumented Immigrant Students