ABSTRACT
An ambition of optimizing international opportunities for early childhood education and care (ECEC) requires that decision-makers are furnished with knowledge and understanding which is as accurate and authentic as possible. The question posed in the title above relates directly to how we – that is, those who are influential in decisions about care and education for children aged between birth and eight years – should proceed to ensure this accuracy and authenticity. This chapter will address the central question of whether we can reliably depend upon grand narratives (or meta-narratives) and theories of human development to inform the way we work. In other words, it will explore the approaches in research, practice and policy making which depend upon positivist underpinnings. These are based upon an acknowledgement of a ‘reality’ or familiar ‘truths’ (in this case about human lives) which have emerged from traditions of scientific investigation but which, critics would argue, have become established without accounting for the authentic human experience and which are, therefore, located externally to the human experience that they describe. The chapter will begin with a brief history of epistemological and methodological approaches that have been taken in research on and with children and how these, in turn, have influenced policy and practice. Some key international examples of policy, practice and research in ECEC will be explored in order to examine some of the challenges to positivism in practice. Finally, tentative conclusions will be drawn about the potential future form of this field of research, policy and practice.
