“I know a different one, that flies farther”: building toys as a research technique with children

Abstract

The present study stems from a doctoral thesis defended in the Graduate Program in Education at the University of Brasilia. It discusses methodological and field entry issues based on ethnographic research conducted with 6-year-old children in a first-grade classroom, and seeks to present and discuss specific research techniques, such as the construction of toys. The text is divided into three parts. The first topic reflects on the entry into the field, referring to the first months of the research, which lasted one school year. The second part narrates the planned research techniques, particularly the technique of building toys, that emerged from the interaction with the children and significantly contributed to the ethnography. Lastly, the debate is extended to the specialized literature in order to demonstrate that research with children requires the production of distinct analyses and techniques. Thus, the study focuses on delving into broader debates regarding the research with children in the field of childhood studies.