Using Diverse Evidence Sources and Practices to Explore Intergenerational Family Play and Language Practices in ECEC

Exploring intergenerational family play practices with young children holds the potential to show continuity and change across generations and demonstrate how these practices can be transformative and sustainable across time. This chapter reflects upon and critically discusses the impact of an intergenerational family practices research project conducted in Australia between 2021 and 2022, during COVID-19 restrictions, through a Quality Use of Research Evidence (QURE) Framework lens. The aim of the research was to expand the knowledge base about intergenerational play-based practices for young children's language/s learning and the linguistic, cultural, and social benefits for Australia of these practices. The data collected from six families consist of intergenerational group interviews, filmed family play activities, and video clips and photos of young children's play.

The research findings from this study were disseminated at multiple levels: at the academic level through publications and presentations, at the professional level through professional learning activities and the development of a web resource, and at the research participant level through the sharing of generated data. We argue that communicating the findings of the study in multifarious ways helps with providing a coherent and richly illustrated narrative, which is sensitive to complexities and multiple perspectives and supports the integration of aspects of the evidence for practice. We conclude that the relational aspects of the "usefulness" of research unfold slowly, and from this perspective, we will continue to engage in dialogue and practices with early childhood communities.