Steps to Engaging Young Children in Research
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STEPS TO ENGAGING YOUNG CHILDREN IN RESEARCH VOLUME 1: THE GUIDE Education Research Centre, University of Brighton Funded by the Bernard van Leer Foundation April 2014 Edited by VICKY JOHNSON, ROGER HART, and JENNIFER COLWELL Steps to Engaging Young Children in Research DEDICATION This resource is dedicated to Judith Ennew who gave children a voice, fought for their rights and inspired many others to do the same. Steps to Engaging Young Children in Research Contributors The research team: Researchers have also contributed examples of their research from different parts of the world in Vicky Johnson: case studies of learning from practice as follows: Principal Research Fellow, Project Lead, University of Brighton Anannia Admassu and Girma Amentie on early Roger Hart: learning in CHADET in Ethiopia Professor of Psychology and Geography, Graduate Gina Crivello and Vanesssa Rojas Arangoitia on Center of the City University of New York wellbeing from Young Lives in Peru Jennifer Colwell: Vicky Johnson, Joanna Hill and Pashupati Sapkota Research Fellow, University of Brighton on ‘Listening to Smaller Voices’ in Nepal Andy West: Roger Hart, Jasmine Rajbjandary and Chandrika Associate Researcher (freelance consultant) Khatiwada on group organisation in Nepal Xenia Carvalho: Anslem Wandega and Ruth Birungi on school Researcher, University of Brighton linking in ANPPCAN in Uganda Mallika Kanyal on the school environment in North Advisor and funder: India Johanna Einarsdottir on transitions to primary Selim Iltus: schools in Iceland Research and Evaluation Officer, Bernard van Leer Andy West on water supply in Tibet in China Foundation Claire O’Kane and Rita Panicker on street and working child rights in India Expert advisors: Cath Larkins on citizenship of marginalised children in Europe Linda Biersteker: Head of Research at the Early Learning Resource Unit (ELRU), South Africa Gina Crivello: Young Lives (Department of International Development), University of Oxford Johanna Einarsdottir: Professor of Education, University of Iceland Susan Engel: Professor, Department of Psychology at Williams College Judith Ennew: Director, Knowing Children Donna Koller: Associate Professor, School of Early Childhood Studies, Ryerson University Claire O’Kane: Independent consultant in childhood and youth Filipe Reis: Head of Anthropology Department, ISCTE, University Institute of Lisbon Pashupati Sapkota: Program Manager, Save the Children, Nepal Rajni Singh Shivakotee: Independent Child Rights Specialist & Activist Anslem Wandega: Executive Director of ANPPCAN Uganda Chapter (African Network for the Prevention and Protection against Child Abuse and Neglect) Leonardo Yanez: Programme Officer for Latin America, Bernard van Leer Foundation Steps to Engaging Young Children in Research Acknowledgements There are many people who have supported this work. We would like to thank each of the expert advisors and contributors who have worked with us. The team would also like to thank Selim Iitus at the Bernard van Leer Foundation for his inspiration and for the initiation of this project. The development of this resource has been funded by the Bernard van Leer Foundation, and through the contributions of individuals who are passionate about including young children in research and in decision- making on issues that impact upon their lives. This process can be seen as the first stage in a process of building a community of practice of researchers who work with young children. We would also like to thank the administrative staff at the Bernard van Leer Foundation, particularly Inge Hanny, and at the University of Brighton, particularly Jo Havers and Sylvia Willis. We would also like to thank Nicolette Sheehan for the copy editing. Steps to Engaging Young Children in Research Acronyms CHADET Organization for Child Development and Transformation CPCs Child Protection Committees CRC Convention on the Rights of the Child CSC Community Sensitization Committee DFID Department for International Development (UK Government) ECCE Early Childhood Care and Education ECD Early Childhood Development HICODEF Himalayan Community Development Forum INGO International Non-Governmental Organisation MDG Millennium Development Goals NGO’s Non-governmental Organisations PAR Participatory Action Research PA Participatory Appraisal PtP Pikin-to-Pikin SLD Severe Learning Difficulties PRA Participatory Rural Appraisal UNCRC United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child UNICEF The United Nations Children’s Fund VAC Violence Against Children Steps to Engaging Young Children in Research Contents 6 Acronyms 8 Introduction 10 Steps for Engaging Young Children in Research 11 The Six Steps 15 Academic Background and Guidance 16 Background to Involving Young Children in Research 21 Step 1: Capability including values, knowledge and skills 25 Step 2: Developing ethical protocols and processes 31 Step 3: Developing trust and relationships 35 Step 4: Choosing methods 35 Step 5: Identifying forms of communication 36 Cluster 1: Interviews and discussions 42 Cluster 2: Child led-tours/ In-situ methods 47 Cluster 3: Visuals-free expression 50 Cluster 4: Visuals’ structures and templates 54 Cluster 5: Narrative and performance 60 Cluster 6: Play and games 66 Step 6: Flexibility depending on context 67 Case Studies of Learning from Practice 116 Linking to the researcher Tool Kit Steps to Engaging Young Children in Research INTRODUCTION TO THE RESEARCHER TOOLKIT AND RESOURCE The Researcher Toolkit and Researcher Resource have field. Templates were designed to gather further been developed to support researchers to include examples of methods of value in working with young young children in research; particularly children aged 5 children. These templates were piloted by researchers to 8 years of age. While it has been designed to support working in South Africa and India before being shared those who are seeking to include young children in with experts living and working in a variety of global research for the first time we hope that the broad contexts. This included researchers working in Australia, range of methods described will also be of value for Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America. more seasoned researchers. It does this by providing Through this broad sweep in the collection of methods a six-step process for designing research and through we have been able to gather methods that have been systematically identifying and describing a range of successfully used in research with young children for a methods that have been used with young children in wide range of types of research questions and in a very diverse contexts around the world. broad range of contexts. This has enabled us to identify some of the many important kinds of cultural, religious We use the term ‘researcher’ throughout this resource to and resource issues that one needs to consider when refer to anyone involved in designing and conducting working with children in very different kinds of settings. research including: practitioners, academics, community workers, staff in hospitals, street workers, We have also included case studies to show how the school teachers and many others. research methods have has been applied in different parts of the world. These case studies enable us to This publication, Steps to Engaging Children in Research is illustrate that the methods described in this set of accompanied by a Researcher Toolkit. resources should not be simply copied; research design should involve the creative selection, combining and modifying of methods if it is to be safe, engaging, The Collective Strategy productive and relevant to children’s lives. Used for Producing this The Structure of this Resource Publication ‘Steps to Engaging Young Children in Research’ is split into Academics and practitioners, who had actively carried a Researcher Resource and a Researcher Toolkit. These out research with children aged five to 8 years, were have been developed to assist researchers to design identified and asked to join a network of experts. research which is ethical, sensitive to the needs of the These experts represented a range of academic and children, the community in which they live, whilst also professional fields, including: streetwork, playwork, being engaging for young children. These steps suggest social work, childhood studies, education, psychology, an initial process of reviewing capabilities, developing counseling, sociology, and anthropology and ethical protocols and building trust and relationships. geography. This Researcher Resource provides academic background An initial meeting of experts took place in The Hague about why young children should be involved in in June 2013. Experts attended from Canada, Iceland, research and provides more guidance on each of the six India, Malaysia, Nepal, Peru, South Africa, Uganda, steps to engaging young children in research. the UK, and the USA. A draft literature review and framework for the gathering and analysis of methods For each of the steps guidance is given about what was prepared in advance of this meeting by the the researcher might include in their research when research team. This framework was then further considering each step. developed and built upon during workshop sessions at the meeting. During the workshop sessions the For each cluster of methods an overview is provided experts considered methods they had used in practice, to show the range of the types of methods that could identified the benefits and challenges of these methods