The presence of young children's voices in early years research
Presentation Type
Abstract
Faculty Advisor
Elizabeth Erwin
Access Type
Event
Start Date
25-4-2025 1:30 PM
End Date
25-4-2025 2:29 PM
Description
This presentation describes a series of projects that have been undertaken by our research team, Supervised by Dr. Elizabeth Erwin. Over the past three years, this team has conducted several projects in the field of education focusing on the presence of young children’s voices in early years research. Our work was designed around frameworks of wellness, and inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach (Burke, 2010) to early childhood education. More specifically, the research team conducted a qualitative meta-synthesis (Brown & Englehardt, 2016), which reviewed empirical research (n=8) including childrens’ first-person perspectives about their in-school experiences with mindfulness and mindfulness-related practices (i.e. yoga, breathing techniques). Through our analysis, many themes were identified which resulted in the development of two unique manuscripts currently under review. Our research found many studies conducted outside of the United States, where children connected mindfulness practices with their own well-being and belonging in early childhood settings. Additionally, we found that some children’s voices are missing from the literature, including students of color, students who are multilingual learners, and students with disabilities. Many of the recent articles we have reviewed around the Mosaic approach (Clark, 2005) have discussed a powerful connection between young children's voices and their well-being. As a next step, Dr. Erwin and the rest of the team have submitted an IRB application to explore these topics first-hand through the use of qualitative methods such as interview and photography to explore young children’s perspectives on belonging in the spaces and places where they learn and play.
The presence of young children's voices in early years research
This presentation describes a series of projects that have been undertaken by our research team, Supervised by Dr. Elizabeth Erwin. Over the past three years, this team has conducted several projects in the field of education focusing on the presence of young children’s voices in early years research. Our work was designed around frameworks of wellness, and inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach (Burke, 2010) to early childhood education. More specifically, the research team conducted a qualitative meta-synthesis (Brown & Englehardt, 2016), which reviewed empirical research (n=8) including childrens’ first-person perspectives about their in-school experiences with mindfulness and mindfulness-related practices (i.e. yoga, breathing techniques). Through our analysis, many themes were identified which resulted in the development of two unique manuscripts currently under review. Our research found many studies conducted outside of the United States, where children connected mindfulness practices with their own well-being and belonging in early childhood settings. Additionally, we found that some children’s voices are missing from the literature, including students of color, students who are multilingual learners, and students with disabilities. Many of the recent articles we have reviewed around the Mosaic approach (Clark, 2005) have discussed a powerful connection between young children's voices and their well-being. As a next step, Dr. Erwin and the rest of the team have submitted an IRB application to explore these topics first-hand through the use of qualitative methods such as interview and photography to explore young children’s perspectives on belonging in the spaces and places where they learn and play.
Comments
Poster presentation at the 2025 Student Research Symposium.