Critically discuss the important factors that should be taken into consideration when studying young children in families

today. Introduction The main factors to consider when studying a child in a family today are the environment in which a child is growing up in, how personal views could affect the study, what ethical issues are important and why? And what are the appropriate observation techniques. Through considering all of these factors I would also include evidence of any previous experience I have had. Environment The context of a child growing up is important to consider when doing a child study as the context involves place, time, circumstances, other people, and even psychological and physical conditions (Bentzen W. R. 2000 p.82) these are all said to affect the childs development and behaviour. American psychologist Bronfenbrenner (1979) illustrated the different layers that influenced a child growing up in a theory he called the ecological model of development, cited in Penn H. (2008 p.44). This starts with the microsystem which is the immediate environment of family or classroom (Willan J. 2010 p.64). In the case of my placement child this would consist of her mother who is a stay at home mum, and her father who works part time, meaning she spends a lot of time with her parents around her. In Bronfenbrenners model the last layer is the macrosystem, what the government does (or does not do), and the beliefs and traditions of the wider society. (Penn H. 2008 p.44). My placement childs macrosystem would consist of any changes to the Early Years Foundation stage which comes into practice in September 2012 (Dfe 2011). Also the western culture would affect her so she would be subjected to events such as Christmas. Environment is strongly considered in educational settings; this is clear in one of the 4 main guiding themes called Enabling Environments (DFCS 2008 p.9), in the statutory framework of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Enabling Environments explains that the environment plays a key role in supporting and extending childrens development and learning. (DFCS 2008 p.9). It is also considered that the home family environment has a great impact on development, this is considered in a study done by Schroeder V. M.; Kelley M. L. (2010 p.1286) saying that: it is possible that more stressful, less stimulating family environments may provide less support for the development of executive functions. Greater family expressiveness, cohesion and organisation, and less family conflict appear positively associated with childrens general behavioural control and metacognitive abilities. This shows us that the family context in this study did affect children's development. Another study which suggest that specific aspects of the child's home environment, such as parental responsively and availability of stimulating play materials, were strongly related to a childs development was done by Bradley et al (1989 p.217-235) in North America. Although both studies where done in America, the strong acknowledgement in the EYFS (DFCS 2008) of environments shows us that we can generalise the findings to the Great Britain. The points made so far cover the wider context of the child as it grows up but we should also consider the context at the time of the observation. As Jenny Willan (2010 p.64) suggests it is our responsibility as observers of children to be aware of situational features, including our own presence, appearance and language, which might cause them to behave in one way rather than another. When applying this to my placement child I will record the surroundings before I make any observations or carry out any activities to make sure I am aware of the context and how this affects the child. In order for me to make sure that the context of my placement child is fully considered

when I am studying them; I could create a checklist from the Departments of Health Framework for the Assessment of a child in need, as suggested in Willan J. (2010 p. 64). This framework is used for gathering and analysing explicit information on children and families (DoH 2000 p.17). Although the context in which the child grows up in should be considered highly, we cannot forget the importance of the genes and we should question always what part of the child's behaviour does come down to their DNA, this is the nature/nurture debate. Bouchard (1995, in Robinson M. 2008) says that development comes down to both a mix of genetics and environment each one having a greater influence at different stages of development, for example he believes that the childs environment has a greater impact in the first year of life than their genes. Taking this into consideration with my placement child I will always question my findings and consider what comes down to her nature and what behaviour is due to her environment. Personal Values Expectations of childhood and behaviour as a child are independent to each person, the way in which each person spent their Christmas day as a child is an example of this. Perhaps in the case of my placement child I may see it as wrong for her to be allowed to open her presents before the queens speech, as this is something I was never allowed to do (Willan J. 2010). Willan J. (2010) suggests we should take into account what childhood expectations we have held onto from our own childhood experiences, and find sound reasons for holding onto them. An example of how I might do this when studying my placement child is that if I witness her being punished, and because I had a strict upbringing I then believe that it is a must for all children. This may lead to me assuming this is why she will misbehave more regularly if her parents chose a different level of discipline. Having predisposed expectations from your own beliefs and experiences can lead to you not seeing key development aspects in a childs behaviour. Robert-Holmes G. (2011 p.132) writes that at the heart of creative listening to children is a constant raising of adults expectations of young children's abilities to communicate and express their desires and interests. Accepting that my own personal experiences will affect my observations when studying my placement child is a must in order to create a more open opinion of development. Also it will enable me to create mutual respect and see the wider context of her behaviour. Assuming that her behaviour will follow the same pattern of the previous children I have observed, could lead me to miss other vital behaviour patterns Holbart C. and Frankel J. (2004 p.7) writes often what is important to you can dominate observation, therefore it is important that my interpretation of any behaviour needs the based on the knowledge and understanding gained from my academic work rather than my personal views and opinions. Culture in many situations can be a dominating factor in observations. I mentioned earlier the festival Christmas this is due to my cultural background being from the Christian and western society. It is considered normal for me to celebrate it whereas in other cultures they would have other festivals. Bentzen W. R. (2000) says your own understanding of culture may help you to interpret certain behaviours more easily. For example if you were to observe a child meeting an adult for the first time, and they were to bow, if you had knowledge of South Korean culture you would see this as normal. Having only a view of western culture could lead to you seeing the child as being rude and misbehaving. Having views which are restricted by culture can lead to misinterpretation of observations therefore when I am studying my placement child I will make sure to be fully aware of the cultural background she comes from and not to let my own assumptions interpret her behaviour. When doing research personal attitudes and beliefs lead to bias in evaluations of behaviour. Bias refers to the inevitable absence of total objectivity and the inevitable presence of the observers

own unique filters. Since no two individuals are exactly alike, no two individuals will see the same phenomenon or in entirely the same way or to the exact same extent (Bentzen 2000 p. 165). This insinuates that bias in research is unavoidable this is because researchers interpret social situations and events in different ways depending on their assumptions, beliefs and values derived from previous experience (Robert-Holmes G. 2011 p.112) Although on further investigation there are ways around letting personal bias affect conclusions drawn from observations. Robert-Holmes (2011) suggests that gaining a collection of others opinions and perspectives, which he calls triangulation, is key to improving the validity of the research. Another key suggestion made by Bentzen (2000) is to develop some level of interobserver reliability, although this would always depend on the skill and experience of the observers. When observing my placement child it will be hard to ensure validity of my findings as I will be the only official observer. To overcome this I can ask to parents, if present, to checks over my findings after and during each session. I can also make sure that I am looking radically and critically in an open manner (RobertHolmes G. 2011 p. 112) in order to suspend my assumptions and bias to see things from a different perspective (Robert-Holmes G. 2011 p. 112). Ethics The making of moral judgements about the aims and methods of a study is what we call research ethics (Aubrey C. et al 2005 p.156). So this could be seen as a set of moral principles underpinning a project (Aubrey C. et al 2005 p.156). Phillip Selbie (2011) suggests this set of principles consists of 6 which are: informed consent, openness and honesty, right to withdraw, protection from harm and debriefing and confidentiality. The main focus of ethics in early years research is based around the first of these, informed consent; this is due to the sensitivity of studying children. When doing research it is essential to ask yourself if the children have been given all the information about the research they need to make a decision as to whether to participate or not (Robert-Holmes G. 2011 p. 48). This will not only make sure that they are fully informed but it will also ensure that you are being an open and honest practitioner. Complete discloser of all relevant information should always be given to children and young people (Robert-Holmes 2011, p.56) not only at the start but throughout the process the parents or legal guardian should be continually updated on any observations you have made. Langston et al (2004) suggests that although very young children and babies cannot verbalise their consent they could perhaps display their lack of willingness to take part through their behaviour for example turning away. They also suggest that in order to fully monitor the child behaviour for signs of withdrawal there should be someone else present that knows the child well in order to understand its body language. This will ensure that the child is respected at all times. Supporting this is the Birth to Three matters framework (DfES 2002) in the Listening and Responding guidelines to look listen and note the language of others including body language. Due to these factors gaining consent from my placement child could be regarded as an on-going achievement as opposed to something that is purely agreed in advance (Mukherji P. and Albon D., 2010 p. 38). Therefore I will familiarise myself with her body language so that I am continually aware of her comfort in the situation. Another key issue which arises alongside informed consent is right to withdraw. In early years research this is often something which is considered the responsibility of the parents; but as Coady (2001) points out, the parents might not always be present. Consequently they may not fully aware of what the child is partaking in and therefore cannot exercise their right to withdraw. Therefore it

becomes even more of necessity to be in tune with the childs body language, to ensure the childs best interests are at heart. Ensuring that the child is safe from harm is key at all times, therefore its important that the child understands that there is a limit to the anonymity and confidentiality that can be given to what they tell the researcher (Robert-Holmes G. 2011). To make sure the child is aware of this its important to inform from the start of the research. Observations

Reference List Valarie M. Schroeder Michelle L. Kelley (2010), Family environment and parentchild relationships as related to executive functioning in children, Early Child Development and Care, 180(2), pp. 1286. Online. Available at: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/03004430902981512 (Accessed 5 Nov 2011). Bentzen W. R. (2000), Seeing Young Children: A Guide to Observing and Recording Behaviour, 4th Ed, Canada: Delmar Thomas Learning. Bradley, Robert H.; Caldwell, Bettye M.; Rock, Stephen L.; Ramey, Craig T.; Barnard, Kathryn E.; Gray, Carol; Hammond, Mary A.; Mitchell, Sandra; Gottfried, Allen W.; Siegel, Linda; Johnson, Dale L, (1989), Home environment and cognitive development in the first 3 years of life: A collaborative study involving six sites and three ethnic groups in North America, Developmental Psychology, 25(2), pp. 217-235. Online. Available at: http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/dev/25/2/217/ (Accessed 5 Nov 2011) Department for Children, Schools and Families (DFCS) (2007:2008), Statutory Framework for The Early Years Foundation Stage, Nottingham: DCFS Publications. Penn H. (2008), Understanding Early Childhood: Issues and Controversies, 2nd Ed, Maidenhead: Open University Press. Willan J. (2010), Observing Children in Parker-Rees R.; Leeson C.; Willan J.; Savage J. (eds), Early Childhood Studies, Exeter: Learning Matters, pp. 63-74. Department for Education (DfE) (2011), Early Years Foundation Stage to be radically slimmed down, Online Press Article, available at: http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople /earlylearning andchildcare/a0076193/early- years-foundation-stage-to-be-radically-slimmed-down, (Accessed 5th Nov 2011). Department of Health (DoH) (2010), Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families, London: The Stationary Office LTD, Online, Available at: http://www.dh.gov.uk/dr_consum _dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/documents/digitalasset/dh_4014430.pdf, (Accessed on 5th Nov 2011), pp. 17. Robinson M. (2008), Child Development from Birth to Eight: A Journey Through the Early Years, 1st ed, Maidenhead: Open University Press. Robert-Holmes G. (2011), Doing your Early Years Research Project: A Step by Step Guide, 2nd ed, London: SAGE Publications. Hobart C.; Frankel J. (2004), A Practical Guide to: Child Observation and Assessment, 3rd ed, Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes Ltd. Aubrey C.; David T.; Godfrey R.; Thompson L. (2005), Early Childhood Educational Research: Issues in methodology and ethics, 1st ed, London: RouteLedgeFalmer Press. Langston A.; Abbott L.; Lewis V.; Kellett M. (2004), Early Childhood, in Fraser S.; Lewis V.; Ding S.; Kellett M.; Robinson C. (eds), Doing Research with Children and Young People, London: SAGE Publications, pp. 147-159.

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