The overall aim of this study was to present research areas within early childhood education in a dialogue between municipality and university. The purpose was to produce ideas and develop research in teacher education, with the hope of increasing the understanding of what kind of research is needed into early childhood education. The data collection comprised 10 focus group interviews with politicians, managers, principals, lecturers, preschool teachers and parents, as well as children in after-school recreation centres and preschools, in all a total of 46 participants. The preschool teachers and parents also answered a questionnaire. From the results, different research areas appear; those especially highlighted were play, intervention, cooperation between preschool and home, the position of preschools in relation to schools, and child group research. There was also an increasing demand for children's perspective in gender, class and ethnicity research. (Contains 1 table.)