Chapter 17: Microethnographic Research in Early Childhood Education

Microethnography is a research methodology that has been used to conduct research in early childhood environments with both adults and children. Historically, microethnography is a relatively recent methodology as it was first developed in the 1960s and 1970s. Microethnography draws its roots from ethnography and the research methods developed in the fields of anthropology, psychology and sociology. The central focus of microethnography is on communicative interactions in particular settings (LeBaron, 2006).

Researchers in early childhood considering using microethnography will focus on the uses of language and communication in particular social settings. Research questions which lend themselves to microethnography are ones that involve examining communication in settings such single classrooms. In addition, the researcher will want to investigate the cultural context of the setting selected for research. In early childhood, the setting might be a classroom, a parent-teacher conference, or it may be a situation such as pick up and drop off at a school or child care facility. Finally, researchers using microethnography as a research method will need to make a decision about how to use technology in order to collect samples of language and communication in that setting.