Choosing a mixed-method approach as the basis for my EdD journey was a moral as opposed to a methodological decision, based on my own values and beliefs. If I was to explore the lived lives of the participants, then their voices had to be front and centre of the work (Clark, 2017; Rinaldi, 2001). Being of a social constructivist persuasion with a belief that researcher-led collection and interpretation of the data is unable to capture the reality and complexity of early development and education generally, the perfect solution appeared to me to combine the triangulation of pupil, teacher, researcher in a co-constructive fashion. Children are after all – as stated in Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child – considered the experts of their own lives; and teachers have long since been encouraged to become research active (Greany, 2015).
Teachers often give reasons for their lack of engagement in research activities. These can include time, the disinclination to engage, and knowing that what is being researched has meaning and relevance to their own practice (Yu, 2011). As part of the education reform journey in Wales, the teaching and leadership standards now include the expectation for teachers to become active researchers to inform their practices (Welsh Government, 2019). Therefore, inviting pupils and teachers to share their stories as part of my own research zone of proximal development journey is timely.
