Connecting voices in research. Supporting experiences of collaborative inquiry between researchers and practitioners

Abstract

After a brief theoretical introduction on the dialogic nature of empirical research in education within the theoretical framework of ecological paradigm and constructivist epistemology, the article focuses on some methodological devices that, in the authors’ view, facilitate the development of research processes based on the effective involvement of researchers and practitioners. Among these, particular attention will be paid to videoresearch and phenomenological interview as method options that - under certain conditions - make it easy to visualize and verbalize the educational experience, activate transformative learning and tighten the gap between research and practice in education. The argument put forward is based on experiences of empirical research conducted by the authors in early childhood settings.