Children as participants in research. Playful interactions and negotiation of researcher–child relationships

Abstract

ABSTRACT The consideration of child-centred participation in childhood research is a topic that draws heavily on human rights, and participatory childhood research is performed in a variety of ways. The paper explores issues of adult-child roles in early childhood education with an intention to involve young children in the research as much as possible with reference to Hart’s ladder of participation. A drawing-elicited interview was conducted with four children, 3–5 years of age, regarding their views on favourite adult professionals. The children were encouraged to express themselves through drawing and stories, while the researcher strove to follow child-led initiatives along the way. In the process, the children started to generate crazy stories, to laugh, and experiment with the researcher’s authority and engage in playfulness. The analysis points to ways in which adult researcher–child relationships are negotiated in research, suggesting that the adult engages in playful interactions with children in order for true participation and sharing of perspectives to take place. The study emphasises how improvisation, share of control, and playful interactions with children are important elements to consider in participatory early childhood research because it is crucial in forming a research relationship with young children.