Children as agents in early childhood education

Abstract

Abstract The aim of this article is to foreground the concept of young children as agents through an exploration of the strategies they use to gain control and produce social life in early childhood centres. In order to be sensitive to the subjective contents of young children's lives, a qualitative approach with observation as the key method of data production was used. Children between the ages of three and four years in two early childhood centres in KwaZulu-Natal participated in the study. The findings suggest that young children are knowledgeable, intentional and skilled actors who deploy influential strategies to assert autonomy and contribute to life at the centres. The strategies of resistance, avoidance, ignoring and collaboration are discussed to illuminate the resources the children actively used. In the context of valuing young children as agents, the concluding remarks highlight the need for practice and research to be informed by an empowerment approach in early childhood education.