Unpublished conference/Abstract (Scientific congresses and symposiums)What do they mean? Listening to babies communicating in the daily setting in ECEC service
Pirard, Florence; Legrand, Anne; Michel, Aurore
2015 • 25th EECERA annual conference - Innovation, experimentation and advenutre in early childhoods
No document available.
Abstract :
[en] The main aim of the study was to gain understanding of how babies communicate in ECEC services. Previous literature indicates that babies can interact and communicate precociously, not only with adults (Stern, 2005; Threvarten, 2011), but also with other children (Tomasello et al., 2005). The ECEC service can be considered as a setting where interaction and communication between peers can be sustained by practitioners who observe them, document what happens, analyse together the educational condition to guarantee and regulate their action (Stambak et al., 1983). The study involved qualitative and action research initiated by Cresas and IEDPE (self-regulating participatory assessment, Ballion et al., 1988), combined with an analysis of activity approach focused on contextualised process. An action researcher has gathered practitioners, trainers and researchers from France, Spain, Croatia, Italy and Belgium to analyse educational daily practice in ECEC services and their effect on communication between peers. Videos have been used to document and analyse the practice (EADAP, 2011). The ethical considerations taken in this study involved collaborative perspectives that give an active place to all participants (researchers, trainers, practitioners? parents and children). Informed consent and authorization for using video in the research are guaranteed. Participants identify and document communication processes between very young children observed in natural setting (ECEC services). These processes are characterised by several aspects: duration, emotional expression and meaningful linking of observed behaviours between babies. A shared meaning from the video documentation can be co-constructed like some narrative stories. Participants consider the activity of babies as meaningful stories that they should understand and sustain with interest. We discuss implications for professionalisation of the workforce (initial training and professional development).