Engaging with Student Voice in Research, Education and Community

Ethical Reflections of Interviewing Young Children:Opportunities and Challenges for PromotingChildren’s Inclusion and Participation

“…Children should not be seen as a homogenous group, and participation needs to provide equal chances to participate without any discrimination because of age, gender, ethnicity, family, culture, geographical location, language, religion, ability, or financial situation (Lansdown, 2011;United Nations, 1989). Thus, the important question in research is to consider who is included and vice versa, who is excluded (Mockler & Groundwater-Smith, 2015). We conclude that the ethical values behind the research Ethical Reflections of Interviewing Young Children: Opportunities and Challenges for Promoting Children's Inclusion and Participation 105 methodology can be considered as "sine qua non" condition for the process of making research, which aims to empower children's agency and participation.…”

“…Einarsdóttir (2007) argues that earlier research on children was carried out through assessing and observing children's competencies and development. James and James (2012) suggest that if children are not included in the research focusing on their everyday life, it will result in an obfuscation of the relationship between adult and child.Moreover, this approach will make it more challenging to ascertain the diversity and multivoiced aspects of childhood, as well as individual perceptions and experiences that help children build their understanding of their environment and interactions.Recently, it has become evident that the present research methodology of early childhood education cannot dismiss the interaction and relationships between researchers and children.The focus has shifted from regarding children as objects (Christensen & James, 2008) progress in developing suitable research methods (Crivello, Camfield & Woodhead, 2009;Fattore et al, 2012;Karlsson, 2012), there is still a need for research to explore and develop substantive research ethics, methodologies, and methods towards democracy and participation (Mockler & Groundwater-Smith, 2015). Clark (2011) …”

“…The focus has shifted from regarding children as objects (Christensen & James, 2008) progress in developing suitable research methods (Crivello, Camfield & Woodhead, 2009;Fattore et al, 2012;Karlsson, 2012), there is still a need for research to explore and develop substantive research ethics, methodologies, and methods towards democracy and participation (Mockler & Groundwater-Smith, 2015). Clark (2011) …”

“…If children are regarded as expert informants about their own lives, appropriate strategies need to be developed and employed in order to provide meaningful information on children's perceptions (Tay-Lim & Lim, 2013). Although there has been progress in developing suitable research methods (Crivello, Camfield & Woodhead, 2009;Fattore et al, 2012;Karlsson, 2012), there is still a need for research to explore and develop substantive research ethics, methodologies, and methods towards democracy and participation (Mockler & Groundwater-Smith, 2015). Clark (2011) has pointed out that the debate has shifted from presenting cases of listening to children's perspectives to recognizing the ethical parameters in research.…”

Disrupting student voice in education research through music

“…Yet there remains a seductive, hidden coercion underneath narratives of student voice in the context of wider school improvement discourses (Mockler and Groundwater-Smith, 2014). McLeod (2011) describes how romanticised notions of identity, agency, inclusion and equity permeate student voice, through calls to "rescue and release the voices of the silenced and marginalised" (p. 179).…”