In this article, the authors address some of the scientific challenges associated with using observation as a research method. The authors ask how researchers contextualise and understand observation in terms of its theoretical underpinnings and how it is conducted. Using a vignette in the kindergarten context, the authors explore how observation…

There are increasing demands for teachers to continue to improve the quality of education. This focus is evident in the Early Childhood Education and Care sector in Australia where the professionalisation agenda is tied to teacher professional learning. While the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (AITSL) has strengthened expectations…

In this paper, we present an argument for Practitioner Inquiry (PI). We briefly introduce PI, and we indicate how PI recasts the professional and political role of the Early Years Practitioner (practitioner). At the core of this article is the work of the early childhood pioneer, Friedrich Froebel (1782-1852). Froebel provided principles to…

Diffracting a research project in a UK primary school, this paper concerns feminist materialist orientations to odd-ness as a relational, distributed, and affective form of "thinking-feeling". It suggests that attuning to affect as it moves through a context resistant to disruption, involves becoming "bad researchers"; bad for…

This case study discusses responsive walking methods from a yearlong river-child-walking project situated in early childhood education. Grounded by feminist anti-colonialism, this project reconfigured children's relations with a local river and challenged dominant, extractive methods of discovery. A behind-the-scenes approach is taken in this case…

This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of early childhood education and development research in Malaysia, focusing on articles published in Scopus. Publications included in this study consisted of journal articles, books and book chapters, and conference papers, all of which sampled children between four to seven years old. The…

This study is a researcher-practitioner action inquiry which was used to explore children's sensory experiences with a focus on the sense of smell (olfaction). We critically considered the early childhood theories that positioned children's sensory learning within equitable, socially just early childhood approaches and connected them to an action…

This article presents a methodological approach to educational psychology research in which researchers engage in collaborative transformations of educational practice while developing theory concerning the societal and scientific relevance of these transformative processes. The theoretical inspiration for this approach stems from…

This article proposes the diffractive practice of blogging-with Place as an alternative to a reflective journal. Reflective practice is a priority for teachers, with reflective journaling often employed as a method for documenting a teacher's experiences and knowledge about sites that are intended for place-based teaching and learning. However,…

The aim of this research was to investigate how young students can be supported to use Socratic Seminar as a tool for critical thinking skills and deep, dialogic discussion of complex texts through use of picturebooks. In this teacher action research study, a first-time kindergarten classroom teacher supported by a university professor, enhanced…

This phenomenological study explores the experiences of preservice teachers of color in a teacher education program at a predominantly white institution. Participants experienced feelings of isolation, being targeted because of their race, lack of multicultural education in the program, and feelings of tension in wanting to speak out and fearing…

Research-practice partnerships (RPPs) are emerging as a promising approach for educational change by closing the gap between educational research and practice. However, these partnerships face several challenges, such as addressing cultural differences as well as relationship-building in a historically unbalanced relationship between researchers…

Given the hegemony of developmentalism in early childhood education and care, this article uses a poetic juxtapositional approach to bewilder Piaget's theory of cognitive development. Critical consideration of how the theory of cognitive development has contributed to the imagining of a universal, ahistorical child and childhood(s) are discussed…

In this paper we discuss the value of multiculturalism in early childhood settings, barriers to cultural inclusion, and the importance of partnering with families of young children to enrich school learning and engagement. Examples from our work will provide illustrations of research-practice partnerships using asset-based, culturally grounded…

Taoism, one of the oldest Eastern religious systems, has significantly influenced Chinese culture and society. Taoism centers around "The Tao" or "The Way," considered the ultimate source from which everything--both physical and non-physical, living and non-living--originates. It emphasizes inner self-cultivation through…