Map-making as a Lens into the Child’s World: An Approach for Including the Child’s Voice in Early Years Research
Delivered by: Dr Chloé Beatty (LINC Programme Researcher, Mary Immaculate College).
This workshop will explore how map-making can be used as a participatory research method to amplify the voices of young children in early years education. Drawing on her work evaluating the LINC Programme, Dr. Beatty will share how this visual and child-friendly approach helps uncover children’s experiences, perspectives, and understandings of the spaces they inhabit. Attendees will gain insight into using map-making as a tool for inclusive research and reflective practice in early learning settings.
Dr Chloé Beatty is an educator and researcher specialising in developmental and cyberpsychology, with a focus on improving accessibility and inclusion in education. She has worked as a lecturer, researcher, academic coordinator, digital learning specialist, and accessibility liaison across Mary Immaculate College (MIC), Dublin City University (DCU), and City Colleges Dublin.
In her current role as Researcher for the LINC Programme, Chloé leads the evaluation of the programme using a multi-method approach that includes research with LINC graduates, their employers, parents, and young children. One of the key methodologies employed is map-making, which ensures the inclusion of the child’s voice in early years research.