Introduction

giving words to children's voices in research

Eva Johansson

pp. 1-13

in: Eva Johansson, E. White (eds), Educational research with our youngest, Berlin, Springer, 2011

Abstract

This book concerns research with infants and toddlers—the youngest children in early education. The idea behind the book is to explore ways of engaging with voices of very young children as researchers in the field of early childhood education. The aim is to contribute to this field of knowledge by scrutinizing ontological, epistemological and methodological approaches that assist us in trying to understand and visualize, in a broad sense, the multiple voices of young persons. The book itself represents a chorus of voices (researchers, children, teachers and parents), all adding to a discussion about various circumstances, dilemmas and possibilities involved in doing research with our youngest. The authors offer, in various ways, their thoughts and experiences regarding how to approach, understand and interpret the multiple voices of toddlers and infants.