Play-based interview methods for exploring young children’s perspectives on inclusion

Abstract

Inclusive education provides learning opportunities for children with disabilities in regular settings with other children. Despite the prevalence of inclusive education, few qualitative studies have adequately explored young children's perspectives on inclusion. This paper reviews the findings of a preliminary qualitative study where play-based interviews were conducted with 12 typically developing children enrolled in one of two childcare lab schools. Study methods provided an opportunity to assess play-based interview techniques where young children were asked to describe their views on inclusive education. The findings demonstrate that play-based methods allow young children of various ages to identify complex issues related to inclusion. The authors call for additional research that examines research methods in early childhood settings on multi-faceted issues regarding educational policies and practices as a way to attenuate young children's lack of participation in curriculum development.

Methodological Strategies to Listen to Children’s Voices: A Systematic Critical Review

“…Evidence from our review strongly suggests that interviews are the preferred-or at least the most common-strategy to listen to children's voices. The most prevalent types of interviews found in our review were semi-structured (Fekonja-Peklaj and Marjanovič-Umek, 2015;Koller and San Juan, 2015;Northard et al, 2015;Reunamo et al, 2015;O'Rourke, O'Farrelly, Booth and Doyle, 2017;Wernet and Nurnberger-Haag, 2015;Wu, 2015), and only two studies used structured interviews (Correia and Aguiar, 2017;Kotaman and Tekin, 2017). It is interesting to note that while interviews were the main strategy to listen to children's voices, we found a great variation in their use with regards to conditions, circumstances and material used to elicit children's views.…”

Metaphors we experiment with in multimodal ethnography

“…As play is stereotypically closely identified with childhood, its analytical potential is often overlooked. In research, play is usually studied in order to assess children's skills, abilities and development and/or to intentionally designing playful research settings in order to engage children (Campo, Baldassarre, & Lee, 2018;Clarke, 2005;Koller & San Juan, 2015). Our experience was the inverse, we were recruited by children into their play, and what we purpose to do, is to look at play as a metaphor, as an epistemological trope (cf.…”

Barn med og uten funksjonsnedsettelser og deltagelse i forskergrupper – når og hvordan kan ulike kvalitative forskningsmetoder få alle barn til å delta i forskning?

“…I dag er deltakende observasjon en vanlig samfunnsvitenskapelig metode med hensikt å konstruere kunnskap rundt hva de en forsker med forstår, sier og gjør i konkrete hverdagslige situasjoner (Fangen, 2011). På den måten vil tatt-for-gitt-heter og / eller usynlige elementer som kanskje ikke har vaert tenkt på som viktige komme frem (Koller & San-Juan, 2015). Under de deltakende observasjonsperiodene praktiserte forskerne ulike observatørroller.…”