Arts-based Research Processes in ECEC: Examples from Preparing and Conducting a Data Collection

Abstract

In this methodological article, different concepts and possibilities related to how arts-based research processes can contribute in the early phases of ECEC research will be presented and discussed. Despite a setback of art subjects in Norwegian ECEC and early childhood teacher's education, the field of arts still plays an important role, and is expected to be research-based. Thus, there should be a need for an aesthetical and artsbased dimension in researching ECEC, not only in the subject matter, but also in the method, context, outcome and dissemination. The article focuses on methodological issues in the question development/design phase and the data collection phase, exemplified by the author's own experiences in arts-based research processes. These processes include participation in dance and music performance as thinking or reflection tools in research, and an arts-based interview method. Some narrative writing processes will also be commented upon. Theoretically, the article primarily leans upon Barone and Eisner's arts-based research and Irwin and Springgay's a/r/tography.

Kunstens betydning?: Utvidede perspektiver på kunst og barn & unge

“…Kunstbasert forskning gjør bruk av ulike kunstneriske uttrykk og prosesser (Barone & Eisner, 2012) og utforsker kapasitetene i ekspressive former (Knowles & Cole, 2008). Å søke kunstbaserte innganger verdsetter mening og forståelse framfor fakta og potensial, og muligheter framfor klare svar (Vist, 2016). Disse formene er ikke overflødige, men skaper ulike forståelser av et fenomens kompleksitet, som igjen gjenspeiles i kunnskap som kontekstuelt og relasjonelt avhengig.…”

‘So what’s arts got to do with it?’: An autoethnography of navigating researcher positionality while co-creating knowledge

“…Being cognizant that the pursuit of knowledge is possible from more than linguistic deductions (i.e Eisner, 2008; Vist, 2016), several mechanisms were implored in my research to achieve the knowledge outcomes of the project. Various methods borrowed from Arts-Based Processes (ABP) were used in an effort to de-literalize knowledge from Malawi by making confident choices informed by critical philosophy on knowledge, knowing and understanding.…”

Toddler Encounters as Aesthetic Interviews? Discussing an Arts-Based Data Gathering

“…Thus, what was naturally described as an aesthetic ("estetisk" in Norwegian) interview in my mother tongue might communicate better as an arts-based interview in English. I stay with the term aesthetic, partly because it is already presented as such (Vist, 2015a(Vist, , 2016, and partly because the qualities of the aesthetic experience and the way we aesthetically think, feel, and perceive-the aesthetic habits of mind (Bresler, 2006)-are important in this method. The same habits or qualities (i.e., empathy, imagination, embodiment, and so on, see discussion below) are put at the forefront in sensory ethnography (Pink, 2009) and a/r/tograpy (Springgay, Irwin, & Kind, 2008;Springgay, Irwin, Leggo, & Gouzouasis, 2008).…”

“…] Later the same day in the middle of another interview, he sneaked in again, running directly towards me and jumped into my lap. (Fieldwork, 2014) (see Vist, 2016 for the full narrative)…”

“…With the postmodern definition of a research "text" including discourse and action, it is time to widen the definition of dialogue and interview as well, including interaction and arts-based communication. The arts-based media seem to afford other ways of inviting interviewees into the interview (Vist, 2016), and different possibilities for the interaction and interchange of views, relation, and dialogue within the interview (as in the examples above). Pink (2009) claims that "an understanding of research as participation is fundamental" (p. 82).…”