Discovering a child's intrapersonal diversity through mother–kindergarten teacher interaction via e-portfolio

This study examines the discovery of children's intrapersonal diversity through interactions between home and kindergarten, emphasising early childhood education's focus on student diversity. A case study was conducted with a child with a disability and his mother at a kindergarten in Japan. Utilising the e-portfolio tool Storypark, qualitative analysis was performed on posted records, responses and interview content. This study uses Dialogical Self Theory as its conceptual framework for examining the child's identity through the polyphony and dialogue of research participants. Findings revealed that sharing records from both the kindergarten and the home provided valuable insights into different aspects of the child's identity. Additionally, the involvement of teachers and the mother evolved over time. The study suggested that viewing records on Storypark and engaging in discussions about the content benefitted the child, enhancing understanding of his intrapersonal diversity and strengthening teacher–parent collaboration.