Consulting pupils in Assessment for Learning classrooms: the twists and turns of working with students as co‐researchers

Leitch, Ruth; Gardner, John; Mitchell, Stephanie; Lundy, Laura; Odenå, Oscar; Galanouli, Despina; Clough, Peter

doi:10.1080/09650790701514887

Cited by 50 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…It has been argued that 'insider' research, conducted from the social and cultural standpoint of the participant (Fielding 2004), provides access to data that may otherwise have been inaccessible. This may be because research participants are able to communicate more openly with their peers than with 'outsiders' (Atweh and Burton 1995;Schwartz 1988), because they can relate to and empathize better with participants of a similar age and background to themselves (Mitra 2001), or in the case of data collection methods such as participant observation, because the presence of a peer is less disruptive than that of an adult outsider (Leitch et al 2007). …”

Section: Rationales and Advantages Of Participatory Pupil Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Research Processmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Leitch et al 2007). Having considered alternatives such as random selection (Leitch et al 2007), informed selection by school staff (Sorrell andSorrell 2005, cited by Burke 2007;Flutter and Rudduck 2006) and targeting specific groups of marginalized or 'more challenging' pupils (Bland and Atweh 2007;Hadfield and Haw 2001, 485-502;Roberts and Nash 2009), I decided to lay the responsibility for selecting the PCRs at the feet of the pupils themselves. I hoped that, in having the power to nominate a group of their peers whom they were comfortable with entrusting with the responsibility of representing their views and interests, pupils would feel more connected with and represented by the research (Pedder and McIntyre 2006;Thomson and Gunter 2007).…”

Section: Research Processmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…According to Leitch et al, researching with pupils brings challenges that may be encountered at a number of different moments in the research process and that can only partially be predicted (Leitch et al 2007). Furthermore, as Fielding argues, there are a number of ethical and epistemological issues that might lead us to question whether the approach can be considered valuable at all (Fielding 2007).…”

Section: Rationales and Advantages Of Participatory Pupil Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For purposes of transparency and establishing positive communication (Leitch et al 2007;Mallan, Singh, and Giardina 2010), selection of the PCRs was closely followed by an information meeting with their parents, in which I explained the project and gave parents the opportunity given to ask questions. I also issued parents of the PCRs with a consent letter.…”

Section: Research Processmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Aspirations and assumptions: a researcher's account of pupil involvement in school-based research

Mearns

Coyle

Graaff

2014

International Journal of Research & Method in Education

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This paper describes a research project conducted in collaboration with 10 'pupil co-researchers' (PCRs) and their classes in a secondary school in the Netherlands. The main research tools employed were online and face-to-face group discussions, in which PCRs contributed as consultants, co-designers and assistants. The research proved a learning experience for both the adults and the young people involved and led to the collection of insightful qualitative data. Working collaboratively with pupils, however, presented a number of challenges. Ethical issues such as consent, inclusion and the pressure placed on pupils, and logistical challenges such as the availability of time and resources, were particularly prominent. Perhaps the most valuable challenge, however, was the opportunity that this research presented to the adult researcher to reflect upon the role played by her own assumptions when working with young people.Keywords: students as researchers; inclusive research; bilingual education Introduction Inclusive research with young people in schools has its ups and its downs, its advocates and its critics. This contribution gives a personal account of one example of inclusive research, which involved working together with pupils in the design and implementation of online and face-to-face discussions with their classmates. We subsequently used the qualitative data we obtained through these means to inform the design of a motivation questionnaire, which I administered to pupils at five different schools in a later, non-participatory phase of my doctoral research. The methods and processes of the collaborative phase of this research are described in some detail, as are some of the challenges encountered and the resulting considerations for future work of this kind.We have chosen to write this account in the first person in order to reflect the personal nature of collaborative research. This project afforded an opportunity not only for data collection and for pupil learning, but also for researcher growth. The challenges involved in attempting to share the control over this research with a group of young people, and in balancing assumptions with their input, led to the investment of a significant amount of energy and personal reflection. We believe that this story is therefore better told from a subjective and possibly a more 'human' perspective. This paper is written largely with the singular 'I', not to belittle the contribution and considerable

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