Using an ecocultural approach to explore young children’s experiences of prior‐to‐school care settings

Abstract

This paper contributes to the discussion around methodologies effective in gathering the perspectives of young children for the purposes of research. It describes ecocultural theory, a theoretical model that has grown out of anthropology and cross-cultural psychology, and argues for the benefits of applying an ecocultural approach to interviews with children, guiding qualitative analysis of interview data, and the development of practical strategies built on research findings. The value of this approach to research with young children is demonstrated with examples from a study which examined the prior-to-school care experiences of 8 four-year-old children.

Hearing in the Early Childhood Setting: Children's Perspectives

“…It is possible that the highly visual nature of the booklets aided with this understanding. Importantly, the children's self-report booklet reflected the importance of gaining children's perspectives in educational matters that concern them and adhering to ethical conventions in research with children (Dockett & Perry, 2014;Grace & Bowes, 2011;Harrison, Clarke & Ungerer, 2007;Holliday et al, 2009). It is possible that the use of a self-report measure similar to that used in this study could result in earlier detection of, and intervention with, children who have low-level hearing challenges not identified at birth.…”

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

“…This theory is characterised by exploring activity settings in different domains of family life (i.e., domestic workload, support networks, friendship, family connectedness). Grace and Bowes (2009) adapted the efi to be used with young children, leading to the Ecocultural Child Interview.…”

Everyday routines: A window into the cultural organization of family child care

“…Cole, 1995; Rogoff, 2003). A number of scholars have explored the implications of SCT for early childhood care and education (ECE) practices and settings (Anning and Edwards, 1999; Edwards, 2003, 2007; Fleer, 2010; Fleer et al, 2004; Fleer and Hedegaard, 2010; Smith, 1996), but ECT has been less frequently used for ECE institutions (however, for an ECT analysis of children’s activity in child care, see Grace and Bowes, 2011). Both approaches suggest that children develop through participating in culturally organized activities of a particular local context.…”