Digital stories for transition: co-constructing an evidence base in the early years with autistic children, families and practitioners

Concerns have been raised about the quality of practice-focused research in education generally and in early years education specifically. Chris Pascal and Tony Bertram argue that a shift in worldview is needed to improve the robustness and overall quality of participatory research in the early years and proposed a praxeological framework for research comprising praxis, power, values, and methodology. This paper provides an example of how this praxeological framework was applied within an existing research-practice partnership focusing on autism education in the early years. We used a non-orthodox Digital Storytelling methodology to co-construct knowledge between researchers, practitioners, children and families about educational transitions. Our co-construction of knowledge involved the embodied knowledge of children and the exemplary (practical) knowledge of families and practitioners, leading to new insights into educational practices. In adopting a knowledge co-creation approach from the start, we established a powerful pathway to impact through which our research is already making a difference to practice. We propose that pathway to impact is an important element that could be made more explicit within a praxeological framing of research.

Automated summary

Concerns have been raised about the quality of practice-focused research in education, particularly in early years education. This paper introduces a praxeological framework for research that emphasizes praxis, power, values, and methodology, and demonstrates its application in a research-practice partnership focused on autism education. By utilizing a non-orthodox Digital Storytelling methodology, the researchers, practitioners, children, and families were able to co-construct knowledge about educational transitions, leading to new insights into educational practices. The authors suggest that explicitly including a pathway to impact within a praxeological framing of research can further enhance its effectiveness.