Chapter 7: Using The Critical Incident Technique In Early Childhood Research

In 1954, John Flanagan, described a research technique for observing human behaviors and identifying participant perceptions from what he described as “critical incidents” in the participant’s life. Flanagan (1954) defined critical incidents as:

Since this time, the Critical Incident Technique (CIT) has been used as a research method across a variety of fields, including education, psychology, medicine, and business. This chapter will provide an overview of the historical roots of the CIT, procedures to support the use of the CIT as a research method, followed by recommendations related to ensuring the credibility and trustworthiness of findings when using the CIT. To help explicate the potential use of the CIT in early childhood research, a study conducted by the author will be used for illustrative purposes (Rous, 2004; Rous 2001), with additional examples provided from two additional unpublished studies (Calabrò & LaRocco, 2006; Dogaru, Rosenkoetter, & Rous, B., 2009). General information about these studies in presented in Table 7.1.