The potential of chest mounted action cameras in early childhood education research

Abstract

GoPro action cameras have become increasingly popular in TV, movie production, and in sports filming. In this article, GoPro action cameras are explored as a data collection tool in outdoor early childhood education research. Using GoPro action cameras in outdoor early childhood education research provides great possibilities. The cameras can provide researchers with natural data about children’s interactions, play, and communication. The cameras function well under difficult outdoor conditions and provide the researcher with good sound and image quality. Ethical considerations are thoroughly discussed. Children’s rights to privacy may be breached using these cameras. Informed consent is crucial, and professionalism, human knowledge, and tact are required. This study concludes that ethical considerations need thorough attention if these cameras are to be considered for use in research about children.

Oi! Sjå på den! – Funn av naturelement som utgangspunkt for utforskande naturfaglege samtalar mellom barn (5-6 år) og pedagogar

“…Bruk av actionkamera kan innebere enkelte etiske utfordringar ved at ein kjem tett innpå kamerahaldar og kan ta opp situasjonar som kan vere av privat karakter (Frøyland, Remmen, Mork, Ødegaard & Christiansen, 2015;Hov & Neergaard, 2020). Det var på førehand innhenta samtykkeerklaering frå foreldra til alle deltakarane i datainnsamlinga, og forskar hadde besøkt barnehagen i forkant av datainnsamlinga og vist fram utstyr og informert om kva som skulle skje, og korleis ein kunne skru av kamera dersom ein ønska å stoppe filminga.…”

Advancing the understanding of children’s digital engagement: responsive methodologies and ethical considerations in psychological research

“…Some methods enable children to participate actively by using technologies to document their lives (e.g., Hov and Neegard, 2020 with GoPro cameras), to read and create digital stories (e.g., Kucirkova and Flewitt, 2022 ), or for role play such as caring for digital pets (e.g., Marsh, 2019 ). Such methods capture the dynamic nature of children’s cross-media interactions and the active role children play in how the technologies respond to their creative interactions.…”

“Can I go into the artwork?” Material–relational situations with abstract art

“…Considering that the complex exhibition space is difficult to film with only stationery cameras, I used three additional action cameras attached to vests that the children wore during the visits. Several studies discuss body-mounted technologies as data gathering tools (e.g., Caton, 2019;Hov & Neegaard, 2020;Lahlou, 2011;Lofthus & Frers, 2021;Pink, 2015Pink, , 2021Vannini & Stewart, 2017). Given that 80 I used both stationery and action cameras, some situations were filmed multiple times.…”

“…Pink (2015Pink ( , 2021 and Lahlou (2011) describe the body-mounted camera perspective as a "first-person-perspective". Hov and Neegaard (2020) write that "GoPro action cameras can provide natural data from a child's perspective" when the action cameras are attached to vests and worn by children (p. 15). Although I agree that body-mounted technology can provide closeness to the participants and the situations, I align my thoughts with studies that critically discuss understandings that privilege the human subject, noting that the action camera is part of a hybrid (Lofthus & Frers, 2021) or an assemblage (Caton, 2019) encompassing human and non-human agencies.…”

“…However, this might be ethically problematic, given that such encouragement might make the children forget that they are wearing cameras. As explained by Hov and Neegaard (2020), if children forget that they are wearing cameras, they might say and do things without full understanding that the actions are being recorded and analysed by researchers, which raises the question of consent.…”