Phototalk: Interviewing Young Children.

This paper discusses problems and ethical issues in obtaining interview data from young children and presents the "phototalk" method (the use of photographs to facilitate interviews with young children). The method was used in a study of young children's transition to school. Four interviews were conducted with each child, with the first and fourth using photographs. The first interview incorporated 31 photographs of students and teachers involved in a range of activities at school. After talking with the parents while the child played with toys and became accustomed to the researcher's presence, the first interview with the child regarding their initial perceptions of school was conducted. The fourth interview was conducted at the end of their first year in school and concerned their confidence, friendships, perceptions of the home-school partnership, and thoughts about the approaching transition to the next grade. Specific questions were matched to the pictures. Findings indicated that photographs gave a focus to the interviews and kept the children's attention. The placement of photographs in an album seemed to influence the children's response. Children were most effectively interviewed in pairs, although this practice involved difficulty in recording both children's answers unless the interviews were tape recorded. Photographs were also helpful in building relationships with children. A problem with using photographs was the loss in eye contact. (KB)