Visual research material and diffractive readings–a relational research story.

The study investigates how different visual materials, such as children's photographs and the researcher's video recordings, affect research results in a kindergarten. By using a method called diffractive readings, the research is linked to previous studies, theoretical concepts and the researcher's own experiences. The aim is to show how this method can be used with visual data. The background for the study is to explore how three-year-olds in Swedish kindergartens use digital cameras in everyday life, without specific instructions from adults.

Images taken by children and video recordings produced by the researcher are regarded as data that both interfere with and affect the outcome of the study. By using diffractive readings, people, cameras, places and the children's gaze are seen as active forces in the analysis. This provides new insights into how children use digital cameras in kindergarten and their role in visual culture. The method also challenges assumptions about what is important for children in kindergartens and constantly provides new perspectives on the data material.

The analysis, which was carried out using flat ontology and diffractive readings, took place as part of pedagogical research among three-year-olds. The researcher spent six weeks with the children, kindergarten teachers and the material objects of the environment in their kindergarten environment. The study took place both indoors and outdoors and the visual material comprised 70 hours of video, recorded by the researcher, and approximately 2200 images taken by the children.

Magnusson, L. O. (2021). “Visual research material and diffractive readings–a relational research story”. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 34(3):183-196.