Navigating Consent and Dissent in Early Childhood Research: An Australian Perspective
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| Title: | Navigating Consent and Dissent in Early Childhood Research: An Australian Perspective |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Katie Fielding (ORCID |
| Source: | Issues in Educational Research. 2025 35(1):142-159. |
| Availability: | Western Australian Institute for Educational Research Inc. 5/202 Coode Street, Como, Western Australia 6152, Australia. e-mail: editor@iier.org.au; Web site: http://www.iier.org.au/iier.html |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 18 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Early Childhood Education |
| Descriptors: | Foreign Countries, Educational Research, Early Childhood Education, Informed Consent, Childrens Rights, Vignettes, Research Design, Young Children, Creative Thinking, Dissent, Childrens Attitudes, Power Structure |
| Geographic Terms: | Australia |
| ISSN: | 0313-7155 1837-6290 |
| Abstract: | Notions of consent, including assent and dissent, are paramount ethical considerations in human research, but have different connotations in research involving young children (aged 3 to 8). While discussion surrounding consent in the early childhood literature has progressed from paternalistic views surrounding the need to protect the child, to recognising their capacity to make decisions in line with their rights, needs and interests, some studies suggest that the application of this change may still be problematic in practice. Many researchers still grapple with notions of who provides consent, what consent may look like, and how it is applied both before and during research. This article reports on the practical application of consent, framed by the hierarchy of "Children's Participation Rights" (Mayne et al., 2018), within a study into young children's demonstration of creative thinking behaviours when using digital technologies. It provides a brief overview of contemporary views of children's rights and consent for context before outlining the study itself and how consent was applied throughout, informed by the Mayne et al. (2018) framework. It presents a series of vignettes describing elements of consent as they arose in practice and discusses them in relation to the literature. The article concludes by considering rights-based consent in contemporary early childhood research in terms of study design for future researchers to consider. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Access URL: | https://www.iier.org.au/iier35/fielding-abs.html |
| Accession Number: | EJ1467759 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Notions of consent, including assent and dissent, are paramount ethical considerations in human research, but have different connotations in research involving young children (aged 3 to 8). While discussion surrounding consent in the early childhood literature has progressed from paternalistic views surrounding the need to protect the child, to recognising their capacity to make decisions in line with their rights, needs and interests, some studies suggest that the application of this change may still be problematic in practice. Many researchers still grapple with notions of who provides consent, what consent may look like, and how it is applied both before and during research. This article reports on the practical application of consent, framed by the hierarchy of "Children's Participation Rights" (Mayne et al., 2018), within a study into young children's demonstration of creative thinking behaviours when using digital technologies. It provides a brief overview of contemporary views of children's rights and consent for context before outlining the study itself and how consent was applied throughout, informed by the Mayne et al. (2018) framework. It presents a series of vignettes describing elements of consent as they arose in practice and discusses them in relation to the literature. The article concludes by considering rights-based consent in contemporary early childhood research in terms of study design for future researchers to consider. |
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| ISSN: | 0313-7155 1837-6290 |
