Using a multidisciplinary, multi-method and collaborative research design to investigate the health communication power of the early childhood sector

Abstract

This paper details the research design of a multidisciplinary, multi-method, collaborative research project investigating health communication from the experiences of the early childhood education (ECE) sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. With the rapidly evolving pandemic, the ECE sector was instantly tasked with expanding their required health practices to prevent the spread of infection. It was evident that the sector needed a system to communicate health advice in a timely, consistent and effective manner. Founded on a partnership model based on ‘knowledge brokering’ theory, this project demonstrates the value of a multidisciplinary research team collaborating with stakeholder organisations to investigate how COVID-19 health information traversed through complexities of organisational layers and diverse communities of families and staff. Detailing our data collection and analysis protocols, we conclude by outlining how our innovative research design is generating actionable and impactful recommendations for both the ECE and health sectors.

Readability and beyond - Health literacy and numeracy and COVID-19 communications in early childhood education: Are we communicating effectively?

“…The current data form one part of a mixed-methods collaborative study [40] to investigate how the ECE sector experienced communication of health information during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. Partner organisation included health (Western Sydney Local Health District), union (United Workers Union) and ECE organisations (Community Connections Solutions Australia, Community Early Learning Australia, Early Childhood Australia, Early Learning and Care Council of Australia, Family Day Care Australia, KU Children’s Service, The Front Project).…”

Understanding the need and opportunity for a trauma-informed early childhood organisations (TIO) program using intervention mapping

“…To build the Logic Model of the Problem, terms such as “determinants”, “behavioural factors”, and “environmental factors” can be unfamiliar to educational researchers and practitioners, creating barriers for internal communication in the development process which may prohibit program planners’ choice of this tool (Suzuki et al, 2012). The research team who included members experienced in Intervention Mapping, sought to build shared understandings of language with the Steering Committee and Design Group (Bird et al, 2021; Degotardi et al, 2022). For example, one researcher who is experienced in using Intervention Mapping guided the Design Group by explaining the Intervention Mapping vocabulary in plain language, and sharing examples of what each step looks like through case studies (i.e., the Cheshire Social-Emotional Engagement and Development (SEED) Educational Program; Blewitt et al, 2020).…”

Editorial

“…A range of methods were developed to communicate with and encourage participation of diverse stakeholders engaged in early childhood and outside school hours care settings in Australia. Researchers such as Degotardi et al (2022) posit that engagement processes that allow for multidisciplinary voices empower stakeholders and provide avenues of communication sometimes not offered to families, young people and children from diverse backgrounds.…”