The Mosaic Approach and Research with Young Children - Case Study Example

Research with Children: An Analysis of Research Methods Introduction Children are born with some sort of survival instinct for competence, a drive to master the environment and thereby thrive within it. The theory of competence motivation impels even the very young child to be constantly curious, constantly experimenting. It is difficult to test a child’s holistic abilities before he or she attains some degree of verbal proficiency, usually at about age three or four. Until then, the only way to assess a child’s competency is through a variety of research methods augmenting the traditional observation method which sought to determine what the child does naturally and then match his or her performance against developmental norms for a large number of other children of the same age. It is in this regard that this essay is written to proffer diverse research methods applied by researchers exploring if and how these methods can be used with children of different ages. Specifically, the discourse aims to determine how the age of children affects the research methods employed. Several research studies on early childhood and the research methods employed to solicit children’s behavior and their perception of the world they live in. The study on the Mosaic Approach by Alison Clark provides the impetus for comparison with other research methods as indicated by Samantha Punch in her research with children. Relevant perspectives on early childhood research were presented by Langston, Abbott, Lewis and Kellett and are used to present issues on content, context, appropriate research methods, among others. Factors to be Considered for Research in Children Researchers in early childhood have acknowledged that there are issues that make children distinctly unique from adults and thereby, necessitate specific tools to solicit the responses required. Punch averred that the rationales for differences in research with children are concisely explained, to wit: “the position of childhood in adult society, adult’s attitudes towards children, and the children themselves” (Punch, 2002, 323 & 324). Adults have been established as imposing power over children and were perceived accordingly by children themselves. This fact influences the way research has been designed and administered to satisfy the aim of the adult researchers. The adults’ attitudes towards children affect the research design in terms of the researchers’ perceptions on children’s competencies and reliability to provide appropriate responses to structured research approaches. In this regard, it is not the children’s ineptness but the adult’s failure to acknowledge that children are indeed uniquely different from adults. Therefore, researches awareness of these critical factors should bear in mind that the design of research methods must be consistent and compatible with the age of the respondents. Research Method: The Mosaic Approach Clark’s Mosaic Approach is a multi-method form of research which utilizes diverse tools ranging from observation, child conferencing, using cameras, tours, map making, and interviews, among others (Clark, 2004, 144). The study which applied the mosaic approach used an early childhood institution with two sets of samples: (1) children with ages ranging from 3 to 4 year olds; and (2) children under 2 years of age. This approach is appropriate to encompass the different abilities and interests of children within the two sample groups. The observation method, for example, is appropriate for children below 2 years of age with limited verbal competencies. Under observation, researchers could just look and take notes without interference or personal contact. This method was generally employed by Takei whose “major source of data was observations during monthly visits, each of which lasted about an hour” (Takei, 2001, 29) appropriate for infants. Infants are totally incapable of sending verbal messages and overt responses in terms of social interactions and peer interrelationships. Coates (2002, 5) also used observation for her research of 2 year olds at a local nursery to view and analyze children’s drawings and the meanings of these marks on diverse age groups. The observation method is the most appropriate approach for children of very young ages due to the limited capabilities in terms of verbal communication and competencies to engage in social interaction with individuals outside the nuclear family and teachers from early education. Child conferencing is a structured interview form of research method which accords the researcher the opportunity to interact through formal conversations with children. Clark used this approach for children under 2 years of age twice over a two-month period. Clark provided the children were given the chance to listen to the first conference or interview and allowed them to edit their initial responses (Clark, 2004, 145). Using cameras is an innovative method which provided children from very young ages to view things which are considered important from their own perspectives. According to Clark (2004, 145), “the cameras gave the children a powerful new language”. For this method, the age group that is most appropriate for the tool is children from above 4 years of age. Since this method is a participative approach, researchers need to establish the children’s capabilities to operate a simple camera. This is not at all possible for children below three years of age. The use of photographs was recognized by Punch (2002, 333) to have both advantages and disadvantages. The benefit is this approach is the opportunity given to children to express themselves in a fun way using a novel and different method. A disadvantage that was presented was the photograph taken could be influenced by the season causing an overemphasis of an event. Further, ethical issues emerge from employing this method such as children without the privilege to sustain this skill eventually feel disappointed. Likewise, community members subsequently express resentment for encouraging children to become photographers when economic status restricts them (Clark, 2004, 334). Tours and map making, as indicated, are more appropriate for children at about 5 years of age and above. As these are participative approaches, children are encouraged to show the researchers through guided tours and walking interviews on the daily routinary activities which shed light on children’s perceptions of people, events, objects, private and social places, and accessibility, among others. Clark clearly expounded on the meanings of places, peoples, events, and activities from the child-led tours (Clark, 2004, 148 – 149). Most associate places to activities that are normally undertaken in specific rooms. For example, when Clark was given a tour by Clare to the Parent’s Room, she associated the room for a place where people gave farewells, when she indicated that “It’s the Parents’ Room – where people have their leaving parties” (Clark, 2004, 148). Map making is another approach for children 5 years old and above. This participative approach integrates the use of photographs with guided tours. Researchers who opt to use this approach must recognize the children’s ability to relay relevant information associating people, places and events to various experiences and perceptions. This approach can be used as learning tools to children of younger ages in terms of showing the output of older children which are closer to them in perception and view of the environment they interact in. Finally, interviews are part of the mosaic approach but involve staff and parents of the children under research. The focus of this method is to solicit the perception of adults as a means to validate the children’s responses. This is most needed for children under 2 years of age who are not adept with verbal communication. This method was used by Takei when he interviewed parents on what the infants had done in the period under study. According to Takei (2001, 30), “interviews with parents enhanced my knowledge of the signs and communicative gestures produced by the infants”. Other Research Methods The article written by Punch revealed other research methods outside the mosaic approach presented by Clark. According to Punch, drawings, diaries, participatory rural appraisals (PRA), worksheets, and a combination of visual, written, and traditional methods can be employed by researches depending on the age of the children and on the information required from the study. According to Langston, Abbott, Lewis & Kellett, “successful research with young children has often involved the design of specialized methods” (155). Depending on the age and purpose of the research, specialized methods are designed and employed after closely evaluating the capabilities and competencies of children in various age groups. Drawings were used by Coates (2002) concurrent with observation for her research in finding out children’s stories behind their drawings. This approach was applicable to diverse age groups ranging from 3 and 4 year olds, 5 year olds, 6 year olds, until 7 year olds. The manners by which children draw and narrate at the same time provide intriguing revelations on children’s perceptions of the world they live in. This approach could have been collaborated with child conferencing, especially in the older groups (say 6 and 7 year olds) to confirm and validate findings and meanings in their drawings. Interviews with parents and staff for the younger group (3 and 4 year olds) could have assisted in explaining rationales for drawings and the children’s perceptions of people, events, and places provided by the social space their interact in. Diaries, on the other hand, are already useful and appropriate for children of older age ranges, say 8 years and above, since it requires writing routinary activities and those perceived as relevant in the children’s lives. This was validated by Punch (2002) who averred that one of the difficulties of this approach is that “it depended on the level of the children’s literacy” (335). The worksheet approach also shares the same disadvantage and is only applicable to children aged 8 years old and above due to the intricacy of the information needed to complete the tasks required. Researches sometimes acknowledge that a combination of visual, written, and traditional approaches are most appropriate for studies on children with a greater number. However, researchers must recognize that a greater sample size must take into account the profile of the children under study to determine if the combinations of research methods are really applicable in specific cases. According to Punch (2002, 337), a combination of methods could be fun for the children and enable data generation to be effective, useful and relevant. However, due to the unique nature of children, even a combination of methods would not assure that the right method is applied. The diversity among children is a critical consideration for researchers to acknowledge and incorporate in the research design. Conclusion A child begins life in a state of egocentricity, in which he or she is the center of the universe and everyone around is apparently perceived by the child as an extension of its being. In experiencing the give-and-take of relationships with its parents, and in becoming aware of feelings of mutual love and trust, a child moves beyond self-involvement to interest in other people. Thus begins the acquisition of social skills that enable the child to function in the wider world. The early childhood years have continued to intrigue researchers on child development and wellbeing. The research methods available are diverse depending on factors such as age and purpose of the research, among others. The discourse was able to achieve its objective of to proffering diverse research methods applied by researchers exploring if and how these methods can be used with children of different ages. Specifically, the discourse determined how the age of children affects the research methods employed. Through analyzing behavior patterns of children, one may tell where a child’s development stands at a specific moment in time in relation to other children. The various research methods at the disposal of researchers in the field of early childhood should discern which particular method is appropriately applicable for the children under study. As emphasized by DeLoache & Brown (1987; 1998 edn, 163), “from birth children are social beings, skillful at communicating, competent at learning, and able to say (if other learn to listen) something about their lived experiences”. There really is much more to learn. References Clark, A. (2004). “The Mosaic Approach and Research with Young Children.” In V. Lewis, M. Kellet, C. Robinson, S. Fraser & S. Ding (eds), The Reality of Research with Children and Young People, London, Sage. Coates, E. (2002). ‘“I forgot the sky!” Children’s Stories Contained Within their Drawings.’ International Journal of Early Years Education, 10(1): 21-35. DeLoache, & Brown (1998). _____________________________________________________ Langston, A., Abbott, L., Lewis, V. & Kellett, M. (n.d.). Early Childhood. Punch, S. (2002). Research with Children: The same or different from research with adults? Sage Publications, London. Takei, W. (2001). “How Do Deaf Infants Attain First Signs?” Read More