Scientific Influences on Early Childhood Education offers a new framework for examining the diverse scientific perspectives that shape early childhood education. As the field takes on an increasing role in addressing children's educational, developmental, and environmental needs, it is critical to more fully understand and appreciate the diverse scientific roots of contemporary early childhood education. This edited collection brings together leading researchers to explain and unpack perspectives that are not often associated with early childhood education, yet have made significant contributions to its development and evolution. Essential reading for anyone working with young children, this critical and insightful text illuminates the connections between our social values, science, and research in the field.

Scientific Influences on Early Childhood Education offers a new framework for examining the diverse scientific perspectives that shape early childhood education. As the field takes on an increasing role in addressing children's educational, developmental, and environmental needs, it is critical to more fully understand and appreciate the diverse scientific roots of contemporary early childhood education. This edited collection brings together leading researchers to explain and unpack perspectives that are not often associated with early childhood education, yet have made significant contributions to its development and evolution. Essential reading for anyone working with young children, this critical and insightful text illuminates the connections between our social values, science, and research in the field.

This volume employs a multidisciplinary approach to research on a high-profile topic very much on the agenda of state and national policy leaders: early childhood development and education. It aims to reflect how scholarly perspectives shape the contours of knowledge generation, and to illuminate the gaps that prevent productive interchange among scholars who value equity in the opportunities available to young children, their families, and teachers/caregivers. The editors and authors identify and prioritize critical research areas; assess the state of the field in terms of promising research designs and methodologies; and identify capacity-building needs and potential cross-group collaborations.

What is the world like for todayÆs children? How do they construct meaning in it? Answering these key questions, Studying Children in Context explains the art and science of doing qualitative research involving children. Authors M. Elizabeth Graue and Daniel J. Walsh carefully discuss the research process, dealing succinctly with generic research issues yet emphasizing where work with children presents its own particular challenges. They look across the research enterprise in the first part of the book, conceptualizing it as a holistic activity. They next focus on fieldwork, and in the final section examine the interpreting and reporting aspects of qualitative research. In addition to presenting their own considerable experiences in fieldwork with children, Graue and Walsh also present the contributions of numerous researchers with their own insights on key issues. Studying Children in Context will be an invaluable addition to the libraries of teachers and researchers interested in qualitative research methods in general and in doing fieldwork with children in particular.