Children have along history of being the object of study across several research disciplines (psychology, education, sociology). Typically, studies on children have tended to assess concepts, ...experimental approaches, theories or interventions with little consideration given to children's voices within that research (Hill, Laybourn, and Borland, 1996; Scott, 2008). Increasingly, within the various research communities, there has been a shift toward conducting research with children rather than on children to gain insight into what is meaningful and significant to children themselves (Clark, 2005; Clark 2007). As such, several scholars acknowledge four perspectives in conducting research on children: child as object, child as subject, child as social actor, and child as participant or coparticipant (Alderson, 2008; Christensen and Prout, 2002; Christensen and James, 2008). Yet, despite recent research trends of including children's perspectives, many academic disciplines are steeped in a traditional approach of perceiving the child as object, a dependent and vulnerable being in need of protection. This article discusses the methodological choices and tensions I experienced as an early childhood education doctoral student as I endeavoured to negotiate a participatory role for young children's voices within a research agenda that focused on sibling teasing (Harwood, 2008a).
Self-constructed perceptions of early childhood educator professionalism were explored in a small-scale mixed-method survey using convenience sampling. Fifty-four educators in Ontario, Canada ...participated in the study and shared their views related to professionalism. A mixed-methodology was employed using an electronic questionnaire composed of closed- and open-ended questions on ideas related to professionalism. The results of the study demonstrated that all the educators held a strong self-perception of professionalism regardless of their level of education, reporting high levels of job satisfaction, competence, recognition as a professional from others, and self - recognition as a professional. Participants' notions of professionalism focused on the qualities of an individual considered a professional (e.g., good listener, patient, and understanding) whereas discussions of criticality, authority, or the historical, gendered, cultural, racial, and social practic es of early childhood education were noticeably absent.
iPads are increasingly being put in the hands of children in schools and educational contexts, yet there continues to be larger questions about how they fit into the fabric of daily classroom life ...and what new stories will emerge (de Certeau, 1984, 1984/2000). In this article, we feature vignettes of data from a 2-year government-funded research project on how children make meaning with iPads across 5 early years' classrooms. Understanding the complexities of literacy learning requires an 'in situ' examination. Through our ethnographic approach, we have been able to get closer to an 'insider account' of the sociocultural knowledge of early learners and their teachers, as well as a holistic description and interpretation of the phenomenon of being and becoming literate (Le Compte & Preissle, 1993).
Playing outdoors is beneficial for children's development and learning. Investigating how children's play varies in different types of outdoor environments can offer valuable insight to better ...support their development. As part of a larger comprehensive study examining the impact of naturalizing outdoor play environments, this article focuses on investigating young children's physical activity levels and movements on equipment-based and a naturalized outdoor play environments at a licensed early childhood education and care setting. Through a quasi-experimental mixed method design, the present study used wrist- and hip-worn accelerometers as well as spatial behaviour mapping to investigate the level of physical activity and movement between the two types of outdoor play environments. Findings from the accelerometer data indicated a significant decrease in moderate-vigorous physical activity, and a significant increase in sedentary behaviour in the naturalized outdoor play environment. Spatial behaviour mapping revealed that this decrease in physical activity post-naturalization could be due to children engaging in longer periods of more clustered (i.e., multiple experiences in a similar area) play interactions and experiences on the naturalized outdoor play environment compared to the equipment-based environment. This research is valuable for considering how children's more holistic development could be supported on a naturalized outdoor play environment to inform pedagogical and policy decisions.
•Naturalized playgrounds may support lower physical activity levels.•Longer play pauses and interactions were observed on the naturalized playgrounds.•More clustered play interactions were observed on the naturalized playgrounds.•Naturalized playgrounds may support more engagement in holistic outdoor play.
Curiosity and creativity are crucial for children's learning and engagement within their worlds. However, research on creative teaching that also addresses children's curiosity is quite limited. In ...this case study, we adopted visual methods in combination with video-stimulated recall dialogue (VSRD) to explore children’s experiences in a Forest School (FS) program in Southern Ontario. As researchers, we were particularly interested in the nexus of children’s curiosity and creativity in the process of learning. Participating children, aged 6-12 years, wore GoPro cameras to document their lived experiences in the FS. Informed by constructivism, we examined data vignettes, querying the role of curiosity and creativity within children’s entanglements in the natural environment. The results indicate that open-ended materials within nature invited and sustained curiosity and creativity. Children tended to gravitate to the complexity and ambiguity offered within the natural environment. The research findings have implications for educators, namely the importance of the choice of materials and approaches to support and prioritize children’s curiosity and creativity in learning processes. Implications for inviting educators to capitalize upon inquiry moments and the unknown were also evident.
Curiosity and creativity are crucial for children's learning and engagement within their worlds. However, research on creative teaching that also addresses children's curiosity is quite limited. In this case study, we adopted visual methods in combination with video-stimulated recall dialogue (VSRD) to explore children’s experiences in a Forest School (FS) program in Southern Ontario. As researchers, we were particularly interested in the nexus of children’s curiosity and creativity in the process of learning. Participating children, aged 6-12 years, wore GoPro cameras to document their lived experiences in the FS. Informed by constructivism, we examined data vignettes, querying the role of curiosity and creativity within children’s entanglements in the natural environment. The results indicate that open-ended materials within nature invited and sustained curiosity and creativity. Children tended to gravitate to the complexity and ambiguity offered within the natural environment. The research findings have implications for educators, namely the importance of the choice of materials and approaches to support and prioritize children’s curiosity and creativity in learning processes. Implications for inviting educators to capitalize upon inquiry moments and the unknown were also evident.
Curiosity and creativity are crucial for children's learning and engagement within their worlds. However, research on creative teaching that also addresses children's curiosity is quite limited. In ...this case study, we adopted visual methods in combination with video-stimulated recall dialogue (VSRD) to explore children's experiences in a Forest School (FS) program in Southern Ontario. As researchers, we were particularly interested in the nexus of children's curiosity and creativity in the process of learning. Participating children, aged 6-12 years, wore GoPro cameras to document their lived experiences in the FS. Informed by constructivism, we examined data vignettes, querying the role of curiosity and creativity within children's entanglements in the natural environment. The results indicate that open-ended materials within nature invited and sustained curiosity and creativity. Children tended to gravitate to the complexity and ambiguity offered within the natural environment. The research findings have implications for educators, namely the importance of the choice of materials and approaches to support and prioritize children's curiosity and creativity in learning processes. Implications for inviting educators to capitalize upon inquiry moments and the unknown were also evident.
What is childhood like today? Is it a world fraught with endless joy, fun, and games, or are children experiencing a much different reality? A child's social interactions can be a source of great ...enjoyment and are essential to early development. Conversely, young children routinely experience tension, ambiguity, and conflict as they navigate the complexities of these early social relationships. An ambiguous behavior such as teasing can be challenging for children to negotiate and understand. These often subtle jabs can be vague and involve conflicting meanings and interpretations. How children negotiate the complexities within teasing and the impact on teachers and classroom life is not readily known. This qualitative study explored the perceptions of young children and teachers of teasing within a framework of their "real-world" experiences. The article highlights the findings in relation to how children's and teachers' "storied" perceptions of teasing may be positioned and juxtaposed so that a deeper understanding of how teasing is practiced in schools can be realized.
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