Children as research participants in educational research using video-stimulated accounts

While children may be positioned as active participants in early years research, few studies have detailed how this is accomplished from a child's perspective. Ethnomethodology and conversation analysis methodologies examine the recorded interactions of children (aged 5-9 years) in video-stimulated accounts. Sequential analyses highlight four interactional strategies the children used to steer the talk including 1) interrupting the researcher's flow of questioning 2) employing physical actions such as proximity and gaze; 3) diverting the topic; and 4) using the video-stimulated accounts as openings to enact their own interactional agendas. Detailing the unfolding turns of talk make it possible to show how children are competent when considered as research participants and the opportunities provided through video-stimulated accounts.