Supporting children’s perspectives in free play: an educational intervention
Published:
Dec 13, 2016
Keywords:
play new paradigm of sociology of childhood children’s perspectives participation in decision making mosaic approach dialogical practices
Abstract
The present paper presents the exploration of an educational intervention aimed to enhance children’s participation as researchers and participants in decision making processes in an early childhood setting. The main scope of this study was to research children’s perspectives about their free play in their early childhood play environment, to describe the children’s interactions during the design and decision making processes regarding the change of the play environment and to explore the ways of supporting children’s participation in expressing their opinions, redesigning and changing the play environment. Τhe participants of the research were 11 children in one early childhood classroom, aged 5-6 years old. The study is a case study and the data were analyzed though thematic analysis. The methods used for the study of children’s perspectives were tools adapted from the mosaic approach: child-led tour, photography and semi-structured interviews with children commenting upon their photos. Research techniques for exploring children’s interactions during design of change and ways of supporting children’s participation were the researcher’s diary, videotaping of the redesigning process and reflective discussions with a critical friend. The findings present interesting views of the children’s perspectives about their preschool’s space in relation to their play wishes, the researcher’s strategies to enhance the children as researchers, their participation and their rich interactions during the process of co-decision and action. The conclusions highlight the differences in adults’ and children’s perceptions of play and the challenges of an authentic process of the children’s active participation in research and decision making related to their play.
Article Details
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Tanakidou, M., & Avgitidou, S. (2016). Supporting children’s perspectives in free play: an educational intervention. Dialogoi! Theory and Praxis in Education, 2, 52–77. https://doi.org/10.12681/dial.10542
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- Vol. 2 (2016)
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- Special Theme
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