Methodology for Research with Early Childhood Education and Care Professionals

This open access book addresses the growing trend in the field of early childhood education and care (ECEC) research named collaborative knowledge building in which researchers and ECEC personnel collaborate. This kind of research encompasses a number of approaches, such as design studies, action studies, Learning Studies, Lesson Studies, and combined research and development studies.

There are important differences between these approaches, but they also share some features, which makes it possible to see them as examples of a particular tradition of knowledge building. Collaborative knowledge building constitutes close ties between developing practices of early childhood education and care, and generating empirically grounded theoretical knowledge.

Eva Brooks is Professor in IT-based Design, Learning and Innovation at the Department of Culture and Learning, Aalborg University, Denmark. Her research has a design focus on participation, social interaction, and the use and development of digital technology and their implications for play and learning. Her research also includes an innovation dimension, where she applies a design-oriented approach to co-creative processes with children. She has been involved in several research projects concerning children's participation, play, and learning in state-of-the-art technology settings. Currently, her research also has a focus on teachers' professional digital competence grounded in creative workshops where the learning is participative, collaborative and peer-oriented.

Elin Eriksen Ødegaard is Professor, Dr. Fil. and Director of KINDKNOW - Kindergarten Knowledge Centre for Systemic Research on Diversity and Sustainable Futures at Western Norway University of Applied Science. She is working with partnership research for professional development in efforts to understand and support conditions for institutional pedagogical practice. Her research interest embraces cultural historical ideas, global and local perspectives, teachers' pedagogies and changing practices for sustainable futures and children's play exploration. She often uses narrative, explorative and multimedia resources in her research and communication. She has authored and co-authors 9 books and more than 50 scientific articles/chapters.

Niklas Pramling is Professor of Education at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. He is Director of two national research schools for preschool teachers (funded by the Swedish Research Council). He conducts communications research in early childhood education and care settings and beyond.