This paper presents the initial findings of an ongoing research project conducted at the International Centre for Early Childhood in Singapore. The researchers have been collaborating with a group of student teachers who conduct research with young children in early childhood settings, for the purpose of assignment requirements. Prior to any…

"Children?s Voices" is a longitudinal research project to document and understand children's perceptions of live arts performance and the impact on their teachers and school communities. The research conducted in South Australia with 135 5?12-year-olds in four schools involves collaboration between the South Australian Department of Education and…

The paper focuses on children's photographs as a method to use in research with children. Studies using photographs with children are reviewed and compared and a study conducted in one Icelandic playschool is described. The playschool was involved in a project where the purpose was to look at the ways children think about their early childhood…

Children's voices have not often found their way into research. Concerns about their powers of communication, cognitive abilities and the ethical difficulties inherent when working with children have restricted their participation. Objective, empirical evidence suggests that if one engages children in research appropriately they are able to make a…

The recent foundation of a 'Young Children's Perspectives' special interest group in the European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA) reflects a general move in social research towards the respectful and inclusive involvement of children in the research process. However, established education research guidelines often provide…

The history of western societies reveals a recurring theme of standing up for the child's perspective in order to liberate the child from external authority. On the one hand this is related to the rise of enlightened theories of education since the seventeenth century. On the other hand this is related to radical changes in life circumstances of…

This paper reports on efforts to access four-year-old children's perspectives on their learning experiences. Interviews with children in various contexts were carried out using photographs of recent activities to stimulate discussion and recall. Small group interviews with a researcher or teacher; one-to-one interviews between researcher and…

This paper sets out an international review of literature and practice concerning listening to and consulting with young children in early childhood institutions. Most of the existing literature on children's participation has focused on children over five years old; however, a small number of studies have been undertaken with young children.…

The "Starting School Research Project", based at the University of Western Sydney, Australia, promotes the involvement of children in research concerning their transition to school. Using examples of approaches that have been utilised to engage children as part of the research on their transition to school, this paper explores some of the…

This special issue of "Early Child Development and Care" focuses on the issues involved in researching the views and experiences of young children. Challenging issues need to be addressed. For example, what constitutes ethical questioning of children? What are young children's rights as research respondents? What is meaningful 'informed consent'…

The authors of this volume showcase the unique insights that can be gained from examining the lives of exemplars. For example, as individuals who stand out for living reflective, ethical lives, exemplars can reveal the human capacity to behave in exceptional ways despite most people's tendency to not exhibit these behaviors. The authors also…

What fundamentally motivates moral behavior? What is the nature and source of moral motivation? The argument developed in this chapter is that moral action is not merely other-regarding; it also can, and should be, self-regarding. When there is something significant for the self in the moral enterprise, it can legitimately be self-enhancing and,…

The goal of this volume is to show how organized activities provide an ideal setting for developing a deeper understanding of peer relations, as well as offering a context for a more positive study of peers. The chapters in this volume focus on youth 10 to 18 years of age. In this introductory chapter we first describe the reasons why organized…

The goal of this study was to provide an in-depth examination of friendships within organized activities. The prevalence of friendships with co-participants, their quality and characteristics, and their associations with adjustment were investigated. A sample of 281 (60% girls) 8th grade adolescents reported their friendships, activities, and…

Little is known about how adolescents' peer relations might alter whether sport participation is associated with alcohol use. Consistent with social learning theory, we found that sport participation was protective against alcohol use if these peers had low alcohol use, but athletes were likely to use alcohol if their sport friends and…