In exploring international topics researched by reputable
organizations. I found the European Early Childhood Education Research
Associations (EECERA) to be interesting. This international early childhood organization
publishes a well-respected journal at least two times a year. Some of the current
topics being researched are factors around diversity, children using the
natural environment in learning, and numerous angles on children’s play.
Some of the most cited pieces from this website
include Listening to young citizens: the struggle to make real a participatory
paradigm in research with young children (2009), Make-believe play versus
academic skills: A Vygotskian approach to today’s dilemma of early childhood
education (2008), and Let is disagree (2009), an article in the Special Issue: Children’s
and Parents’ Perspectives on Diversity in Early Childhood Education. It appears
as though this organization stays abreast of the hot topics and current trends
in early childhood education and publishes special issue journals to address
these themes. I have seen many organizations publish journals on a monthly
basis, and yet somehow miss some of the current trends and topics. EECERA Special
Issue journal themes include; Outdoor Play and Learning, Leadership and
Management, and Children’s and Parents’ Perspectives on Early Childhood
Education.
I found it interesting that the actual topic of
research and children wasn’t addressed in many past journal issues. It wasn’t
until 2009 that I found articles on research and young children. One piece
posted in a March 2012 issue, Building a method for researching attribution of
meaning by children aged 5 to 6 in school, reported on the first phase of a
research project in which they looked for the voices of young children. The
researchers of this project interviewed children to gain their perspective on the
meaning of school.
References:
Mac Naughton, G., Rolfe, S. A. & Siraj-Blatchford, I. (2009). Doing Early Childhood Research:
International perspectives on theory and practice (2nd ed.). New
York, NY: McGraw- Hill.
Rebecca,
ReplyDeleteDiversity is surely a key point that should be thoroughly understood, debate on and act upon. This is because human beings as social elements, we come into contact with different people from all walks of life on daily basis and there is need for us to be accommodating in our relationship towards one another. I enjoyed reading your post, quite insightful!