Encouraging Children’s Voices in Early Childhood Education and Care: Dialogic Interaction Based on Photo Elicitation

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 7:45 am - Gold 1
  In Roundtable Session: Children’s Perspectives

Abstract

Photography offers a child-friendly method to support young children in expressing their views. In this study, we explored the types of dialogic interactions that can emerge from photo elicitation in early childhood education and care (ECEC). The research involved 13 Finnish ECEC groups, comprising 107 five-year-old children. The children took photographs regarding their everyday lives in ECEC, and afterwards, small group discussions were organised for the children to discuss the photos. In the small group discussions, four types of dialogic interactions were identified: individual interview, group interview, child-centred dialogue and teacher-directed dialogue. Despite the type of interaction, the children’s voices and thoughts were highly appreciated in the discussions, and the children’s thought processes behind the photographs were thoroughly explored.

Authors

• Heli Johanna Muhonen, University of Jyväskylä

• Mimmu Sulkanen, University of Jyväskylä

• Anne-Elina Salo, University of Jyväskylä

• Maarit Alasuutari, University of Jyväskylä