Abstract:
In long-day-care (LDC) settings, infants develop the capacity for group-related sensitivity: awareness of the relationships between their peers and their capacity to influence these relationships. Whilst researchers have described some infant-peer group behaviours, critical questions remain about the process of change infants undergo when interacting with peers and how educators support and guide this process.
In this study, infants’ interactions were studied using the ‘triad’, i.e., a third infant with an infant-peer dyad. Participants were 20 infants (4-21 months), and four educators from two LDC centres in NSW. Video recordings were collected every 2-3 months across a 12-month period. After each cycle of filming, educators watched selected extracts of infant triads, and reflected on their own thinking and feelings about the infants’ behaviours and interactions, including how they might support the third infant. Interviews were analysed using a structural and thematic approach.
Results revealed: (1) a process of change over 12-months where infants move from observing to connecting with their interacting peers; (2) infant attributes that remain stable; (3) flow-on effects where other developmental areas appear to influence infants’ group sociality; (4) educators’ appreciation of the role they played in supporting infant-peer group interactions by providing emotional safety and security, and not entering these interactions in case they disrupted the group.
The collaborative learning from this study will inform the development and evaluation of professional development for educators that aims to support infants to acquire the abilities and social skills to enter, sustain and leave peer group play.
In this study, infants’ interactions were studied using the ‘triad’, i.e., a third infant with an infant-peer dyad. Participants were 20 infants (4-21 months), and four educators from two LDC centres in NSW. Video recordings were collected every 2-3 months across a 12-month period. After each cycle of filming, educators watched selected extracts of infant triads, and reflected on their own thinking and feelings about the infants’ behaviours and interactions, including how they might support the third infant. Interviews were analysed using a structural and thematic approach.
Results revealed: (1) a process of change over 12-months where infants move from observing to connecting with their interacting peers; (2) infant attributes that remain stable; (3) flow-on effects where other developmental areas appear to influence infants’ group sociality; (4) educators’ appreciation of the role they played in supporting infant-peer group interactions by providing emotional safety and security, and not entering these interactions in case they disrupted the group.
The collaborative learning from this study will inform the development and evaluation of professional development for educators that aims to support infants to acquire the abilities and social skills to enter, sustain and leave peer group play.