Empowering Preschool Children in Giving Informed Assent Participate in Research
Abstract
This article addresses researchers’ efforts to support preschool children in giving informed assent to participate in research. The aim is to present selected methods of empowering children in this regard. The introduction outlines the theoretical foundations of childhood studies and informed consent, and identifies a research gap. Next, the author’s methodology for qualitative research with children on the operation of a forest kindergarten is described. The research used constructivist grounded theory, participant observation, visual techniques, document analysis, and unstructured interviews. The results indicate that data triangulation, taking time to establish relationships, and developing communication skills in both children and researchers can contribute to preschool children’s empowerment in expressing informed assent to participate in research. The literature, in Polish and English, published between 2000 and 2025 on preschool children’s assent to participate in research, excluding medical research, emphasises the adequacy of qualitative methods and the need to ensure children’s safety. Activities that strengthen children’s agency include assigning pseudonyms or having participants sign assent forms appropriate for their age, as well as preparing a child-friendly version of the research report. These strategies can be recommended for research practice in the field of childhood studies.
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