Abstract:
Understanding children’s participation in play and learning experiences, and their contributions to decisions that affect their lives, have been critically discussed in the field of Early Childhood Education (ECE). Yet, research on toddlers’ right to participate and the ways participation may occur in play and learning experiences remains underrepresented. Children’s participation takes shape in two ways. First, children’s participation is their social engagement to construct knowledge and skills through shared involvement and interactions with each other and with adults. Second, children’s participation is a right for them to express their decisions and views. In particular, according to Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), children have the right to express their views. This expression may take many forms, with no restrictions on children’s age or maturity. This thesis focuses on both meanings of participation by investigating toddlers’ experiences in ECE to find out how they show their social engagement and the ways they express their views. The phrase “toddlers’ views” in this study refers to the intentions, choices, interests, and decisions which toddlers express during their play and learning experiences. This qualitative interpretive case study aimed to investigate how the concept of participation was exemplified by toddlers during their ECE experiences, and the ways toddlers expressed their views in learning and play activities within two different ECE settings—one in Kerman, Iran and one in Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand. In order to collect data, this study utilised video observation, field notes from 26 toddlers and four teachers, video-stimulated interview with teachers, and centre documentation. Both sociocultural and sociology of childhood viewpoints were brought to the analysis of data, supporting the underlying premise that participation occurs between toddlers, other people, places, and things. The data were analysed employing a deductive-inductive approach to guide the process and to clarify the relationships between the relevant theories and definitions, and to gain additional insights generated as a result of the inquiry. A deductive data analysis resulted in three main themes in how toddler interaction influences their participation in learning and play experience. These themes were: toddlers’ interactions with peers, toddlers’interactions with teachers, and toddlers’ interactions with places and things. Data analysis led to interpreting that no matter what the differences and similarities in ECE settings between the two countries are, there is an urgent need to support toddlers’ participation rights because adult’s authority and power is generally taken for granted. Drawing on definitions of participation, Rogoff’s (2003) participation theory, and Cosaro’s (2015) studies on peer culture, the findings showed similarities in the way that toddlers interact verbally and non-verbally with their peers, teachers, places, and things. The results showed toddlers’ active participation in learning and play experiences was evident in toddlers’ ability to choose who, when, what, and how they wanted to interact. The dissimilarity between the ECE curriculum and cultures of the two settings influenced the approaches and strategies that toddlers used to interact with people, places and things. Overall, in both countries, the analysis led to understanding toddlers’ participation not only as a process, but also as outcomes. As an outcome, participation consists of two essential components: influence on decision-making and joint learning process between teachers and toddlers. This thesis showed ways toddlers’ express their thoughts and preference to engage with peers and adults in their play and learning, and through those ways of interactions are able to influence their environment. This thesis offers recommendations for researchers, teachers and policymakers based on these findings.