Hearing the voices of babies in baby-educator interactions in Early Childhood Settings

Abstract

This doctoral study examines how the voices of babies enrolled in early childhood settings are made visible during close dialogic interactions with early childhood educators. An ethnographic study set across two, private, ‘for profit’ early childhood settings, this study was deliberate in its attempt to draw out the unseen dialogue that surfaces in baby room practice. A qualitative research design, underpinned by a Cultural Historical theoretical frame, infused with Froebelian principles and Bakhtin’s Dialogism, the study conceptualised voice to be a structured thread of connection intentionally engaged by babies to connect with adults, relationally and historically rooted in the child’s relational histories in the home. Five distinct dimensions of voice manifested as a silent but strategic and unique pattern of communication used intentionally to draw adults into social encounters. Babies presented as creative and resolute in their attempts to source a sense of belonging through interactions with educators, amplifying voice through acts of teasing, humour, and strategic movements to orient adult attention into their social space. Findings point to the pivotal role early childhood educators play in validating babies’ voice acts through responsive, dialogic interactions. However, close, responsive encounters, where voice primarily surfaced, were deeply entangled in educator responsiveness and emotional availability. Amplification of voice initiations created external demands for educators, who conscientiously tried to balance conflicting institutional priorities. The study highlights the way in which institutional traditions are anchored in broader policy directives, which ultimately influence the availability of educators to see and respond to babies’ voice contributions. This study presents Video Interaction Dialogue as a reconceptualised methodological approach and introduces a new pedagogical concept, Adagio Interactions, where voices are dialogically and unhurriedly connected in practice. The study proposes that Adagio Interactions and Video Interaction Dialogue have potential to be integrated into early education practices to support the elevation of babies’ voice contributions beyond this research project.

Date of Award	8 Jan 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Roehampton
Sponsors	Froebel Trust
Supervisor	Fengling Tang (Director of Studies) & Peter Elfer (Co-Supervisor)