Research Methods for Early Childhood Education

Research Methods for Early Childhood Education provides an international perspective on research design, linking methodologies to cultural and theoretical understandings of early childhood, young children's competences, and the purposes of education. It offers a critical and reflective approach to established and innovative research methods, linking diverse methodologies, methods, and theory with illustrative examples of research in practice. It critically examines the role of the researcher, conceptualisations of how research is undertaken, the sensitive nature of conducting research with young children, how early childhood education is understood, and how young children can be included as active research participants. Annotated further reading lists provide a selection of seminal and recent studies that have adopted each methodological approach.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 280 pages
Publication date: 23 January 2020
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Research Methods for Early Childhood Education takes an international perspective on research design and illustrates how research methods are inextricably linked to cultural and theoretical understandings of early childhood, young children's competences, and the purposes of education. The book offers a critical and reflective approach to established and innovative research methods in early childhood education, making links between diverse methodologies, methods, and theory, with illustrative examples of research in practice. Each chapter addresses a specific methodological approach, linking the methodology to early childhood education with vignettes as examples of research practice in the global north, south, east, and west, offering practical examples and critical thinking around new theoretical understandings of early childhood across geographical and cultural contexts. The book critically examines the role of the researcher, conceptualizations of how research is undertaken, the often sensitive nature of conducting research with young children, how early childhood education is understood, and how young children can be included as active research participants. Throughout, the book emphasises ethical and methodological issues that arise from undertaking research in mono-cultural and cross-cultural contexts. Annotated further reading lists provide a selection of seminal and recent studies that have adopted each methodological approach.

Weight: 368g
Dimension: 138 x 215 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350015418