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An essential part of who I am and who my research participants are rests in
gender. While this is a focus of my research, I recognize that it represents a limitation and
that this dissertation could be considered female-centric. My research is also limited by a
concentration on the perspective of the early childhood educator. The final limitation in
this study is that it is grounded in philosophies from a North American and European
perspective and is therefore Eurocentric in nature.
Conclusion
In conclusion this dissertation represents a journey of paths taken within the
context of the field of early childhood education. It tells stories, depicted in case studies
of four teachers working within an emergent curriculum framework. The purpose is to
examine the stories of both the researcher and the researched to illuminate the
phenomenon of emergent curriculum.
It is from a mountain top that a fuller view of the phenomenon is possible. The
pages ahead will show the issues influencing practice and self-image has to do with
power and voice. The stories of the researcher and the stories of the four case study
teachers intertwine to demonstrate that a certain type of curriculum, called emergent, can
empower the disempowered, positively affecting both image and practice.