A Review of Practical Reasoning in Child and Youth Research

Abstract

The purpose of the review is to investigate various relations between the concepts of competence and participation found within child and youth research with the aim of identifying differences in practical reasoning of the various kinds of child research. The search identified 260 articles, and an in-depth analysis of 39 articles was conducted, elaborating the conceptual differences inherent in the different child research fields. Based on a philosophy of practice, the analysis identified 3 different causal connections between the concepts of competence and participation, indicating 3 different ways of understanding means and ends in child research. The review thereby offers an understanding of how and why interdisciplinary problems sometimes occur in education and child care.

Keywords:

• review
• child research
• philosophy of practice
• practical reasoning
• competence
• participation

Acknowledgements

The review is a result of collaboration between the Research Centre on Children's and Young People's Competence Development, Lillehammer University College (Norway) and the Department of Education, Aarhus University (Denmark). The research project, funded by Lillehammer University College, and from which data emerged, aimed to develop a conceptual framework for the newly established research centre concerning children's and young people's competence development, as well as for the research centre's associated doctoral school. I would like to thank project manager, Professor Pär Nygren, Ole Dreier, and Halvor Fauske (Lillehammer University College), as well as Monica Carlson and Venka Simovska (Aarhus University), for inspiration and competent feedback during the research project. Finally, I would like to thank two anonymous reviewers for inspiring input.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

¹The article is based on the results from the research project Concepts of Children's and Young People's Participation, Competence and Competence Development—An Interdisciplinary Meta Study of Scientific, Professional and Political Theories and Discourses, funded by Lillehammer University College. The project contributed to developing a conceptual framework for the newly established Research Centre for Child and Youth Competence Development (BUK-senteret) at LUC, managed by Professor Pär Nygren, as well as for the research centre's associated doctoral school. The project resulted in a report, Mapping and reviewing concepts of children's and young peoples’ competence, participation and competence development (Ljungdalh, 2012). This article draws on key insights from the project.

Additional information

Funding

This research project was funded by the Research Centre for Child and Youth Competence Development, Lillehammer University College.