Tensions, assumptions and situated ethics
Attuning to the unpredictability of ethics in early childhood research participation
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21685969 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Helen Hendry (0000-0001-9615-1652, The Open University, corresponding author), Eleonora Teszenyi (0000-0001-7465-4988, The Open University), Lucy Rodriguez Leon (0000-0003-1618-8899, The Open University), Mary-Louise Maynes (0000-0001-9091-7880, Bishop Grosseteste University), Jane Dorrian (0000-0003-2351-1121, The Open University), Tracey Edwards (0000-0001-9218-3091, The Open University) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 33 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 483-496 |
| Publication date | 2025-05-04 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | European Early Childhood Education Research Journal (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1350-293X • E-ISSN: 1752-1807 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/1350293x.2024.2387570 |
| OpenAlex | W4401490266 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 5 |
| References cited | 26 |
Research in early childhood settings requires careful consideration of the impact on all children in the setting, whether participants or non-participants, and evolving ethical approaches in response to children’s needs. However, flexible approaches and, ‘in the moment’, ethical adaptations are not routinely reported as part of early childhood research. Drawing on examples from previous qualitative, observational research studies, conducted by members of The Open University early childhood research group, this article reflects upon and adds to some of the ethical challenges highlighted by Richardson, T. [2019. “Why Haven’t I got one of Those?’ A Consideration Regarding the Need to Protect non-Participant Children in Early Years Research.” European Early Childhood Education Research Journal 27 (1): 5–14] in an article for this journal. These include the impact of research on non-participating children, the influence of the researcher and research tools, expressions of dissent during research, and adapting iteratively. Six considerations for ethical attunement in early childhood research emerge, which could offer an ‘aide memoire’ for early childhood researchers and encourage more transparent sharing of unpredictable ethics in early childhood research
Early childhood education · Epistemology · Pedagogy · Research ethics · Situated · Sociology · Children's Rights and Participation · Early Childhood Education and Development · Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare · Psychology
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Good education in an age of measurement
The art of case study research
Voices of young children aged 3–7 years in educational research
Young children’s assent and dissent in research
Embracing the breadth of ethical complexities in early childhood research
On interlistening and the idea of dialogue
Visual methodologies
Untold stories of the field and beyond
Ethics committees and shaping of children's participation in qualitative educational research in Chile
Embracing uncertainty in research with young children
Video ethics in educational research involving children
Reflecting on three creative approaches to informed consent with children under six
Ethical considerations for research conducted with human participants in languages other than English
Informed consent, gatekeepers and go‐betweens
It’s never okay to say no to teachers’
Methodological Immaturity in Childhood Research
Uncertainty and practical judgement in research
| Citations per year | 5 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Highly cited | No |