Probine, Sarah http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0022-9203
Article History
Accepted: 30 April 2021
First Online: 13 May 2021
Declarations
:
: Particular emphasis was placed on ethical considerations due to the way this research drew heavily on stories of personal lives and involved young children. Approval to conduct the research was granted by The University of Auckland Human Participants Ethics Committee (UAHPEC). All participants were issued with participant information sheets and consent forms which outlined the intentions of the research, ways in which the research would be disseminated and the participants rights to voluntarily participate and maintain anonymity (except in the case of the key child participants and their parents, who could consent to be identifiable). All child participants were given assent forms in which children could indicate their decision to participate in the research by circling a smiley face or a neutral face. The assent form helped me establish initial consent. Prosser and Burke (2008) assert that researchers should consider children’s assent as ‘provisional’ and that they must address ethical knots that arise throughout the research in an environment of respectful collaboration. In keeping with this, I responded to children’s changing needs and emotions as they arose drawing upon my experience as a qualified early childhood teacher to perceive if a child did not wish to be observed. All data created by research participants (including the teachers reflective journals and the children’s and parent’s images) remained in the participants possession, and with permission, I created copies of these that were stored securely. In addition, participants were given the opportunity to offer their perspectives on the stories, images and interpretations that were to be included in the final reporting of the research.