ABSTRACT
Research with young children over the last three decades has now become the orthodoxy as part of the awareness about child participation rights. In this chapter, based on my previous research, I argue that participation in early childhood research does not come without difficulties. The focus on contemporary literature is how to ensure participant engagement in research with limited attempts to (re)conceptualise participation for young children. Thus, in this chapter, I propose that instead of being haunted by the challenges of participant engagement in early childhood research, we should seek for alternative ways of thinking about participation. It is suggested that ethical praxis, its permeability and relatability, should be central to participation. I conclude by urging us to go beyond mere participation and conceptualise hybrid forms of research with young children at two levels: constructions of childhood and the ideology of research.
