Children’s rights to be listened to and to have a say in matters that affect them are now well accepted in early childhood literature and practice. Yet children’s involvement in research still occupies an ambiguous space, and this is especially so when considering the youngest age group (from birth to eight years old). Debates continue about the most appropriate way to involve young children in research and the ethical implications associated with children as active participants in research.
The aim and scope of the special issue is to explore methods for involving very young children in research. Over the decades, children’s involvement in research has long been debated, imagined and framed. This special issue extends this discussion by starting from play to understanding how foundational pedagogical practices can be used to reimagine what culturally relevant, responsive and inclusive research methods with babies and young children may entail. We invite papers that consider how pedagogy and play may be used as a starting point for developing research methods to be used with babies and young children.
