Contemporary Childhood Conference
Young Citizens and Society: Fostering Civic Participation
2nd – 3rd September 2016
ABSTRACTS
Haya Abdel-Latif and Roderick L. Carey, University of Pittsburgh
Civic Education Beyond the School Walls: How do youth in urban U.S. settings describe the difference between
civic learning in schools and in youth-led social change programs?
Despite scholars’ general consensus on the essential role schools must play in fostering youth civic education
and engagement, research has shown that schools in the United States often fall short of providing such
opportunities. Many young people who are interested in learning about civics and in participating in civic
activities both locally and nationally, join out-of-school programs that cater to those interests. In a two-year,
mixed-methods study of eight youth-led social change programs in an urban Midwest area in the United States,
analysis of focus groups with youth participants uncovered notable differences in the nature of civic education
and service learning at youths’ schools versus their out-of-school youth programs. Although studies have
explored such differences from organizational perspectives, our approach will be youth-centered in that we will
focus on voicing what youth believe are the effective qualities that out-of-school programs utilize in cultivating
effective civic education and social learning opportunities. We hope that our study will help shed light on
possible ways in which schools might create spaces that are conducive to providing effective civic education and
engagement.
Rebecca Adderley, University of Hull (see symposium abstract on page 14)
Listening to the voices of children: using participatory research to assist the exploration of inclusion and
exclusion within three educational settings
Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child “makes a strong, though very general, call
for children’s participation” (Hart, 1992:12). It calls upon governments to acknowledge and act upon the views
expressed by children and young people about issues that have a direct bearing upon their lives.
Participatory research differs from other forms of research in terms of the central role that the participants play
in the process and its epistemological framework links with a more liberating concept of power. It is allied to
ideals of democracy and to being agents of change and allows researchers to consider how participants’ very
personal experiences are shared and made public. As such it is a helpful approach when attempting to
understand the causes and meanings of issues in children’s lives and when searching for ways to raise
awareness of these matters. Participative tools can therefore be used as specific methods to engage with the
voices of children and young people. This paper explores the issues relating to educational inclusion and
exclusion that have been revealed through the use of participatory methodology with the children and young
people who have direct experience of the educational systems and processes which may include or exclude
them.
Jeroen Bron, Netherlands institute for curriculum development / University of Humanistic Studies
Student participation in curriculum development
While student voice is an emerging field of study and practice in education (Fielding, 2004; Thiessen, 2007),
examples of student involvement regarding the curriculum are rare (Bron, 2013). Students offer unique
perspectives (Cook-Sather, 2006) that can improve the quality and relevance of the curriculum, when they are
involved in curriculum design. The processes involved in negotiating their curriculum can lead students to
develop a range of relevant skills by providing opportunities to practice and experience citizenship (Lawy &
Biesta, 2006). However, enabling students to have a role in curriculum design requires that curriculum is
regarded as a process instead of a predetermined, externally established product. This paper presents theory
and emperical data from four case studies in The Netherlands and Flanders where students and teacher cocreated their class curriculum. The theoretical part relates this approach to Boomer's (1992) curriculum
negotiation and Beane's (1997) integrated curricula. The results of a theoretical and empirical analyses are
presented. We explored which skills from the domains of citizenship education (Bron & Van Vliet, 2012) and
21st century skills (Binkley et al, 2010) are actually practiced by students. The results show that including
students in curriculum co-creation contributes to the development of democratic qualities.
Jane Brown and Linda Croxford, University of Edinburgh
Citizens now or citizens in the making? What a study of school transitions can tell us about children as citizens
This paper presents findings from a study which examined children’s and young people’s views on participation
and responsibility at the point of the primary-secondary school transition. It draws on a mixed methods study
undertaken in a range of schools across Scotland and used two main methods of data collection: A
questionnaire administered to Primary 7 and S2 pupils (n 740 pupils); Seventeen focus group discussions with
124 children/young people. Building on an interview study with teachers (Ross and Brown 2013), it addresses
the implications of findings for understanding children and young people as citizens. The study found significant
differences between sectors in children’s perceptions of their school, as well as in opportunities for
participation. For example, while 84% of primary children agreed with the statement: Teachers and pupils work
together at my school, only 57% of secondary pupils did so. Moreover, opportunities for participation were
reported to decline substantially when pupils entered secondary school. In this paper we consider the marked
differences found between primary and secondary sectors and the consequences for understanding the status
of children as citizens. Are schools supporting children as citizens and effective contributors in their own right,
or are young people conceived and treated as citizens in the making?
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Pamela Campbell, Beth Cross & Moira Lewitt, University of the West of Scotland (Nursing and Midwifery)
Do you hear what I hear? Children’s voices in research and how they are perceived
Children’s involvement in research and as co-researchers has become more prominent, with a higher
recognition of children as active contributors and as capable decision makers. This research has involved
children in the research process in evaluating possible methodologies, and selecting favoured methodologies to
use in research. The research was based within a community-setting, in an asset-focussed health group, where
parents and leaders, including teenage leaders, were keen to involve children in developing their own group.
The children chose photography, drawing and mapping as methodologies to share their perceptions of the
group and their ideas for the group. The children communicated ideas for activities and games which they
would like to incorporate with enthusiasm, however these were not always considered and perceived as
relevant by the teenage leaders. The leaders would consider some ideas above others; this was dependent on
the leaders own activity preferences and what they wanted to lead within the group setting, with power being
conceptualised using Expectation States Theory (Berger, Fiske & Zelditch, 1977). Through a learning process, the
teenagers began facilitating sessions which were more focussed on the children’s ideas, with the leaders
incorporating time for children to feedback on activities at the end of each weekly session.
Cross, Amanda & Akiva, Thomas M., University of Pittsburgh
Addressing civic participation disparities in the U.S. through youth-led social change programs
The US has large gaps in civic participation between higher- and lower-income citizens and white and minority
citizens. Knowledge of civics directly relates to engagement, and lower income and minority youth consistently
demonstrate less knowledge of civics than whites. Research shows that structured civic learning opportunities
in high school can support long-term engagement in political life, which may reduce racial and economic
inequalities in civic participation. However, US public schools are increasingly focused on reading and math
instruction, leaving little time for civics. Out-of-school time programs provide a promising alternative platform
on which to deliver civics education. We report on two years of mixed methods data from an evaluation of the
Youth Organizing Initiative in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, launched in 2012 to tackle disparities in civic
participation. The eight youth programs studied encourage participants, particularly teenagers from
disadvantaged communities, to create and join social change activities in their neighborhoods and schools.
Observational and youth-report data include simple, tangible measures of activities youth took part in. These
measures form an index that allows us to investigate how program experiences align with civic education best
practices to better understand the degree to which youth programs can function as settings for civics education.
Charlotte Dean, University of Hull (see symposium abstract on page 14)
Listening to the voices of children: Ethical considerations in participatory research
Recent literature on researching with children and young people endorses a moral position of viewing them as
participants and is directly linked to Article 12 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN 1989). Using
participatory methods can be seen to be inherently ethical as participants are considered less as subjects and
more as research partners. However, this position is not always given allowance for when addressing complex
ethical approval processes. Lincoln and Guba (1985) found that ‘privacy, confidentiality, and anonymity
regulations were written under assumptions that are ill suited’ to such research methods.
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There are many issues that need to be carefully considered when carrying out participatory research. These
include the ways power and control are negotiated, how participant’s very personal experiences are shared
and made public, and how different needs and expectations are balanced in the design of the research process
(McTaggart, 1996). When research is intertwined with the participant’s everyday lives, these issues become
even more significant, both to the participants and the researcher.
This paper will explore the significant challenges to ensuring that participatory research is ethically sound using
illustrative examples of the ethical dilemmas related to participatory research practice with children and young
people.
Ally Dunhill, University of Hull (see symposium abstract on page 14)
Listening to the voices of children: a reflective account of carrying out participatory research
The Convention on the Rights of the Child is an international treaty, which sets out the fundamental human
rights of all children. “The right of all children to be heard and taken seriously constitutes one of the
fundamental values of the Convention” (UNCRC, 2009: 3). However, there are unequal power-relationships
while researching, which can disempower children (Kellet, 2005). In a recent research project on rights
education, a participatory research method approach was used with the aim of supporting, developing and
empowering the children to be rights holders and enabling them to embrace the role of co-researcher. This
approached required the researcher to meet the different needs and expectations of the children in the design
of the research process (McTaggart, 1996). A partnership formed between the children and the researcher
which endorsed the researcher’s belief that the children were shaping and steering the project. The research
project was rooted in Articles 12, 13 and 17 of the Convention, regarding respecting, supporting and guiding
children to form their views from accessing reliable and appropriate sources of information and express their
opinions freely. This paper explores the positive and sometimes challenging experiences of the researcher
when carrying out participatory research with children.
Paul Fenton, Nottingham Trent University
Political Literacy: Educating Young People for Active Citizenship
This conceptual paper provides a critique of the current emphasis on Citizenship Education in England in
response to the Crick Report (1998) and its failure to adequately address political literacy. The paper highlights
how social responsibility and community involvement have been used as a means to maintain societyas it is
(Illich, 1971) while remaining silent in matters of polity (the form or process of civil government or constitution)
that could empower young people to imagine how it could be. In this paper, I set out the value of revisiting the
qualities of liberalia studia as a basis for citizenship education, what Jeffs (2015,p.13) describes as ‘a liberal
education best able to instill intellectual discernment, wisdom and a capacity to separate sense from nonsense’
to engage in dialogue with young people, to raise their sights and help them build the world anew. Drawing on
Aristotle’s Politika as a tool for evaluating constitutions of government of few vs government of many, I suggest
a reemergence of politycal literacy in education is needed that promotes the virtue of polis (citizenship) as
engaging young people as agents of change in the interest of the common good.
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Sajeewa Fernando
Child Rights, Child Abuse and the impact of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
Children have human rights which are called Child Rights. In 1989 the United Nations established the
Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) which apply to all children and young people up to the age of 18
years and have all rights in the above convention. The convention is separated into 54 articles including social,
economic, cultural or civil and political rights while also emphasising biological parents and human dignity. Each
article discusses different rights. The convention also mentions that all national governments which acquire
membership of the UN must publicise and implement the convention. Therefore national governments are
legally bound with the UNCRC to incorporate the full range of child rights including protection and
implementation. With 190 countries ratifying the CRC, it is the most widely ratified human rights treaty.
Governments all over the world should take steps to ratify the CRC and ensure proper implementation and legal
enforcement regarding child rights. The CRC should be supreme more than the local laws and cultural norms of
a local country. A child is a person but not half a person. If not more. Children have physical desires such hunger
and thirst and emotions such as love. Therefore, children qualify unconditionally for most of the rights which
are granted to adults. But a child is not an adult. Some of society’s jurisdictions do not allow children to vote,
marry, buy alcohol, to engage in paid employment and engage in sex.
Debra Flanders Cushing and Willem van Vliet, Queensland University of Technology
Youth Councils and Youth Master Plans: Equal opportunities for all youth?
The discourse on youth participation in community development often encompasses the complex notions of
representation and equity. Effective youth participation strategies depend on meaningful opportunities for all
young people, not just those who are articulate or typically get involved (Matthews, 2003); thus, creating a
need to open up leadership training opportunities to diverse groups, including minorities and youth in poor
communities. Youth councils (YCs) can provide opportunities for participation and often bring youth directly
into contact with political processes (Taft & Gordon, 2016). Yet, scholars question their value in providing equal
representation, suggesting that such approaches are exclusionary and accessible only to well-resourced youth
who are encouraged to participate (Vromen & Collin, 2010). Youth master plans (YMPs) as community-wide
plans promoting child- and youth-friendly agendas, also stipulate opportunities for youth voice, yet are not
widely used (Cushing, 2015). This paper presents research on YCs and YMPs conducted in the United States.
Findings show that YCs are often representative of community diversity, yet can face challenges in recruiting
diverse youth. Similarly, most YMPs demonstrate an awareness of diversity; yet lack specific strategies to
accomplish inclusion. The paper concludes with a discussion of policy implications and recommendations for
future research.
Rachel Heah, School of Law and Social Justice, University of Liverpool
The Ethics of Researching with Children and Young People
In line with the emphasis on the ‘right to participate’ under Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the
Rights of the Child (UNCRC), and the developing view of children as competent social actors within their own
rights, those who undertake research with children and young people are increasingly keen to involve them, not
only at data collection stage, but from start to finish of the research project. Nonetheless, because all
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university-based research projects have to be approved by Research Ethics Committees (RECs) prior to
commencement, those who wish to involve children and young people at the earliest stages of their research
projects (e.g. designing the project), face a “chicken-or-egg” situation: they cannot have children and young
people contributing to their methodology/project design without first having gained ethical approval, but at the
same time, it is unlikely that they can gain ethical approval without first having a methodology. This will be
discussed in more depth, along with some of the other ethical “hurdles” to conducting participatory research
with children and young people, such as the presumption of “vulnerability” of child participants in research, the
requirement for parental consent in order for children to take part in research, the perceived differences in
aims/objectives between researchers and RECs, and the lack of “youth” voices within University research
governance systems. I will conclude by putting forward some suggestions for overcoming some of the ethical
hurdles discussed.
Elizabeth Henderson, University of Sheffield
Going beyond rights to the complex work of practitioner engagement in 'listening' to young children
What does it feel like to 'listen' in a challenging context while simultaneously trying to deepen and secure our
attachments with young children? Much of what is written on 'listening' is presented as linear and
unidimensional, averting the complexity and emotional dimension experienced within early childhood practice.
This paper explores the relationship between a practitioner and a young child in her care as she works through
the challenge of 'listening' and child protection simultaneously. Performative autoethnography affords the
opportunity to witness policy-in-action and to consider what that asks of practitioners striving to meet the
needs of young children today. It also allows others to experience the rawness of events at close hand and to
reflexively step back to consider policy implications and the tensions they create. Using an expressive
methodology this presentation elicits many questions and troubles more linear nursery narratives. It begs the
question 'What is the price of 'listening' in challenging contexts and how might we support practitioners in this
endeavour?'
Deirdre Horgan, University College Cork
Child participation: Moving from the performative to the social
The body of work on children’s participation has been valuable in asserting its importance. Nonetheless,
participation is a contested concept and key challenges arise relating to its emphasis on age and voice, its focus
on socialising the participative responsible citizen, and its failure to sufficiently recognise the range of
participatory activities of children in their everyday lives. This paper will present findings of an Irish study on
children’s experiences of participation in their homes, schools and communities including the importance of the
relational context, how everyday interactions rather than performative, formal structures for participation are
valued by children and how their participation is limited by adult processes based on notions of competence
and voice. It concludes with an argument for recognising and facilitating children’s informal and social
participation as well as new forms of democratic processes being developed by children to ensure the
possibility of governance and over-responsibilisation of children is reduced.
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Ralph Jessop, University of Glasgow
Criticality for a Participative Democracy: A Literary-Philosophical Development of Ideas on Learning from the
19th Century
Developing from work on Sir William Hamilton, and the anti-instrumentalism in Dickens’ Hard Times, this paper
pursues a Literary-Philosophical perspective to argue that: our present need for enhanced criticality in
education can be valuably informed through a selection of progressive 19th-century ideas on knowledge and
learning; and, that these provide some of the key educational bases for transitioning the system of governance
into a participative democracy. The following notions will be outlined and, where appropriate, linked with the
work of, for example, Stow, Froebel, Pestalozzi, and Freire: relativity of knowledge (dialectical); enhanced
engagement (fostering intellectual activity, irreverence, and play); enablement of learner agency through
commitment to dialectical knowledge; ultimate goal of auto-didacticism; principle of learned ignorance
(cognitive limitation with a distinctly moral component); and, education’s role in fostering higher capacities of
criticality and moral understanding combined. The general standpoint underpinned by such elements from
19th-century ideas on education is anti-instrumentalist, transformative, committed to replacing the present
neoliberal dominance of education, and is explicitly purposive in aiming to assist young people and teachers to
actualize a participatory democracy as that system best able to counter the deep and intolerable educational
and social harms of socio-economic inequities.
Tracy Kirk, Northumbria University
Could the Gillick Competence test be used more widely in the private law sphere to enhance the civic
participation of adolescents?
More than 30 years ago Lord Scarman outlined his paradigm for ascertaining whether an older child has the
‘Gillick Comptence’ required to ‘make his own decisions when he reaches a sufficient understanding and
intelligence to be capable of making up his own mind on the matter requiring decision’. Since then, there has
been little movement towards actively recognising and respecting an adolescent’s increased capacity to make
decisions, especially where a parent, or the court, disagrees with their attempt at ‘self determination’. Indeed,
the case law explicitly referring to ‘Gillick Competence’ remains largely within the medical sphere; which Fortin
states has undermined the ‘legal significance of adolescent competence’. In this paper I refer to private,
contractual examples to argue that ‘Gillick Competence’ could be used to expand the legal recognition of the
competent adolescent’s ability to make life-changing decisions. Ultimately, discussion, which recognises the
capacity of young people to play a meaningful role within communities, will enhance the understanding of the
social contribution of this group of society. One way to do this is to apply the principles developed in Gillick to a
wider field of private law to ensure ‘Gillick Competent’ adolescents have a legally recognised right to autonomy.
Tracy Kirk (2), Northumbria University
Could the Named Person Scheme be the catalyst needed to prompt increased discussion of children’s rights?
Laws seeking to protect the vulnerability of children have long been a feature of the Scottish Legal System. The
unique Children’s Hearing System prides itself on making sure that all children and young people are cared for
and protected, while their views are heard, respected and valued. Despite these clear values, the decision by
the Scottish Executive to introduce the Named Person Scheme to promote the wellbeing of each and every child
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and young person has caused much controversy. While much has been written about how such a scheme
breaches the rights of parents, less has been said about the beneficial role such a concept can have in
promoting the rights of young people in matters directly effecting them. Arguably, the Named Person Scheme
simply gives legal significance to roles already fulfilled by head teachers and health visitors, by ensuring the
principles of GIRFEC are effectively promoted throughout Scotland. In this paper I refer to how this promotion
of children’s rights by the Scottish Government, by returning to the founding principles of the Children’s
Hearing System, should be welcomed and used to engage in discussion about children’s rights. Increased
recognition of children’s rights does not have to mean a reduction in parental rights.
Iulia Kravchenko, National Pedagogical Dragomanov University
Philosophy for children (P4C) as a tool for civic education in museum space
The Museum today is a popular alternative education space. Specialists in many museums successfully use a lot
of interactive techniques for successful and effective teaching of children. As the Museum provides visual aids
and graphics in expositions it becomes a comfortable place to think deeper about cause and effect of certain
phenomena and events, to plunge into the cultural context of the eras, to consider the value of the present and
the past. In other words, this space appears as a participant in the dialogue. Therefore adaptation to application
P4c in museum education appears to be promising direction. What might it look like? As an example let us
consider a lesson in the Museum of history on the topic: "Sources of historical knowledge". The class begins
with a short sightseeing tour through the halls of the Museum to explore all possible samples of historical
sources, material and written, with the exception of one hall, for example the hall of history of the twentieth
century. In this hall the visitors get the task to find as many samples of the historical sources as possible and list
them in their notebooks. After that, the students sit in a circle and take turns to name one source until the list
runs out. Moderator duplicates it on the flipchart. Further, according to the classical scenario of the P4C session
participants vote for one of the historical sources which they would like to discuss. The discussion could touch
on the questions of the veracity of the source, criteria of truth, etc. The exposure environment may serve as a
good basis for argumentation, encourage the formulation of hypotheses and assumptions, provide empirical
material for conclusions, etc. This format of the session might not be as informative with encyclopedic context.
But at the same time, the P4C class format leads to the emergence of interest in the subject and formulation of
problematic questions. And in this case the probability that a child would wish to self-refer to relevant literature
for deepening knowledge and again come to the museum with the same purpose will increase. Moreover, the
reflections on the value of historical sources can encourage a closer reading of the daily information in mass
media and thus make personal growth.
Erin J Lux, University of Strathclyde
The American Teen in 1950s: consumer, worker, delinquent citizen?
The American teenager of the 1950s was an object of considerable concern, thought, and scrutiny: a generation
that would have to solidify America’s newfound status as a global superpower, defeat communism and
safeguard democracy. Apart from the sheer number of children and teenagers thanks to the post-war baby
boom, economic and social changes that transformed the country after the war also affected the role of
teenagers. Improved economic opportunity meant dramatic changes in the lives of young people, from
improved employment prospects, to increased consumer participation, earlier marriage, childbearing, and
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independence from the family home. In addition, an increase in crime rates through the early 1950s prompted
increased scrutiny of teenagers’ capacity for responsibility, mental health, and how to address their potential
for criminal activity. Despite these changes and teenagers increasing economic, cultural, and consumer
influence, they remained outside the mechanisms of formal political involvement as the federal voting age
remained 21. Building on the work of James Gilbert, Judith Sealander, and Diane Ravitch, this paper looks at the
changing role of teenagers in the US in the 1950s and how adults, leaders, and policymakers responded to them
and poses the question of whether or not teenagers could be considered citizens.
Melanie McCarry, University of Strathclyde
New media / Old problems: mobile media, control and young people’s intimate relationships
Most young people in the UK have an online presence, have their own smart phone, and are the primary users
of many social networking applications. Recent research evidence indicates that mobile media and technology
are used by some people to exert control, surveillance and monitoring of their intimate ex/partners. In the UK
most young people have a relationship before the age of 18 and between one quarter to one third of these are
controlling, abusive and/or violent. Much of this non-violent abuse is conducted via mobile media. Qualitative
in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with two unrelated groups of young people: female and
male members of a national youth organisation; and young women service users attached to a supported
accommodation project for survivors of sexual abuse. Findings indicate that the service users disclosed multiple
experiences of abuse, control and surveillance through mobile media from ex/partners. The youth group
evidenced a distinct gender division in terms of how mobile media platforms are used to operationalise, and
manage, the controlling dynamics in their relationships. The tension explored is that between those that use
mobile media to enhance feelings of safety and those that are victimised through these same platforms.
David McGillivray & Jennifer Jones, University of the West of Scotland
Young people, media making and critical digital citizenship
A range of recent academic, policy and practice-focused work in the UK and internationally has identified a need
for more focused attention on the role of digital literacies in enabling young people to more effectively navigate
their way through an increasingly complex, digitally-mediated world. Focusing on the practice-research project,
Digital Commonwealth, we highlight the difficulties facing educational authorities and young people in dealing
with the opportunities and threats brought about by digital media. We conclude that a critical digital citizenship
agenda needs to be embedded in educational narratives, where young people are, through practice, asked to
ponder how digitally mediated publics operate in the school setting and beyond. Integrating making and
thinking critically about the benefits and dangers of pervasive digital media in and outside of school is
imperative. Our study suggests that there remain significant inequities in terms of provision across schools,
including access to suitable infrastructure(s) and equipment, and the availability of qualified and confident staff
with the requisite digital leadership attributes to enable digital media projects to be integrated into everyday
learning practices. We show how one-off projects can precipitate and accelerate uptake of new approaches and
innovative thinking but they do not represent a panacea for the systemic development of critical digital
citizenship over time.
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David McKinstry, University of Strathclyde
Children and Active Citizenship: A Lesson from the American Civil Rights Movement
This paper investigates the role children played in the American Civil Rights Movement. It focuses on the
concept of children having agency and examines how elements of the civil rights leadership recognised and
employed children as moral agents for social change during the struggle for civil rights. The specific focus of this
paper is on the role children/young people played in the Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-56) and challenges
previously held common assumptions that the first successful mass direct action protest of the modern civil
rights movement was initiated and led by adults. This presentation is part of a wider study which examines the
role of children as agents of social change during the civil rights struggle focusing on their roles in specific crises
during the struggle which proved pivotal to the successful desegregation of the American South during the
1950s and 1960s. The sources for the wider investigation employs primary material gathered from archival
research in the USA. However, for the purposes of this introductory paper most of the sources will of a
secondary nature.
Greg Mannion, Matthew Sowerby, John I’Anson, University of Stirling
Researching Rights-in-Relation: how participation in school supports achievement and attainment
Attending to pupils’ rights is sometimes seen as marginal to or at best supplementary to the business of
teaching the curriculum or ‘doing well’ at school. This research, funded by the Children and Young People’s
Commissioner Scotland, set out to discover, from young people’s perspectives, what were the significant rightsbased experiences in secondary schools in areas of deprivation. Distinctively, the research sought to understand
how these experiences were connected to achievement and attainment. Walking interviews, focus groups and
photography were used to support pupils to evocatively locate how everyday rights-based experiences and
‘doing well’ were linked. The research documents some key elements of the lived experience of a rights-based
education, for example, the importance of positive pupil-teacher relations and the need for an expansive
approach to participation across all arenas of school life: within class, in governance, the extended curriculum,
and beyond. From young people's viewpoints, attainment and achievement appeared to be deeply
interconnected through opportunities for having both their educational and participation rights realized in the
round. The evidence suggests that a rights-based approach to education is in fact a ‘good education’. The
published report: How young people’s participation in school supports achievement and attainment:
http://www.cypcs.org.uk/ufiles/achievement-and-attainment.pdf
Diana Murdoch, University of Edinburgh
'Why does no-one listen to me?' An exploration of unheard voices in a Scottish secondary school
In Scotland, we have an education system, which describes itself as ‘inclusive’. This is based on the
‘presumption of mainstreaming’ for almost all pupils, with additional targeted support on an individual or group
basis. Such an ‘inclusive’ education is bound up with the vision of a Scotland which is democratic, and where all
its citizens are able to be equal participants in that society.
How much do we really know about how people experience inclusion and exclusion from the community of
education, and what these experiences mean to them? Much policy and practice is based on assumptions
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about needs and what ‘works’, but do we really understand about the every day effects of these policies and
practices on pupils, teaching staff and parents?
This presentation aims to share some of the interim results from a doctoral study on the lived experience of
some young people, their parents and their teachers, of their inclusive education, in a Scottish secondary
school. It aims to give voice to some of those who may not have been heard before, to challenge us to listen to
what those different voices are telling us, and to be prepared to include them as we make changes.
Ian Rivers, University of Strathclyde
Children's perceptions of the political landscape: A thematic analysis
Research on children’s and young people’s understanding of the messages contained within party political
material is an area that has been under-explored. This paper explores primary and secondary school children’s
engagement with the political messages during the 2015 UK General Election. It explores how those messages
are understood and what concomitant impact those messages have upon school behaviour or indeed
discussions in Citizenship classes. There are three distinct contributions to be made by this research.
Firstly, we do not know if the political messages pupils hear are in any way nuanced or whether they are
interpreted in fundamental ways. Secondly, it explores children’s and young people’s understanding of the
messages underpinning a general election at a time when there is a heightened sense of isolationism and desire
to distance ourselves from Europe and limit immigration. A key question for this study then becomes how does
this manifest in terms of children’s and young people’s discourse relating to national ‘otherness’. Finally, this
study combines objective behavioural data collected from schools with (i) children’s and young people’s
discussions about key issues they have understood in the general election, and (ii) teachers’ perceptions of
children’s behaviour and their engagement with these issues via the citizenship curriculum or any other aspect
of the curriculum.
Anna Robb, University of Dundee
Impressionism or Expressionism: Exploring the opportunities for genuine child participation in the school
community
A recently published annual survey by the National Society for Education in Art and Design has indicated that
the value of the curricular subject of art and design is gradually being eroded in primary and secondary schools
in the UK (NSEAD 2016); the data for this report has been gathered from teachers. This report is one of a
number of pieces of research that have been published in the last ten years focused on the value of art and
design in school curriculums, drawing upon the views and opinions of adults: the views of the pupils,
particularly those in primary schools, is not prevalent or consistently gathered. Based on the findings of a
systematic literature review, the purpose of this paper is to examine this issue in further detail with the aim of
outlining a case for creating a network system of support and collaboration between schools and the
community, with children at the centre. Such a network would go some way to ensure the sustainability of art
education in primary schools of the future, but also ensure that children are provided with genuine
opportunities to participate in the school and the wider community.
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Rachel Shanks and Claire Molloy, University of Aberdeen
Young people's political communities and democratic participation
In the months leading up to the 2014 referendum on independence for Scotland a team of researchers held
focus groups with young people in the senior stage of secondary school in six schools across two local
authorities. In one local authority a trial referendum was run in all its secondary and special schools and data
from over 400 young people was collected via a survey on this referendum process.
In the focus groups and survey, views on the franchise for the referendum and, in particular, the lowering of the
voting age were sought. Young people were asked if they intended to vote in the referendum but not how they
were planning to vote.
The data from the focus groups and the survey were analysed in order to discover young people’s views on
democratic participation and representation and their involvement (or not) in political communities. While the
majority of focus group participants said that everyone aged 16 or over living in Scotland should be able to vote
in the referendum they did not extend this to those in prison. Young people particularly wanted more
information on referendum issues and expressed a preference for schools to provide it.
Lauren Smith, University of Strathclyde
Learning, Lending, Liberty? Can school libraries be engines for youth citizenship?
"Learning, Lending, Liberty? Can school libraries be engines for youth citizenship?" was a research and advocacy
project funded by the Information Literacy Group of the Chartered Institute for Library and Information
Professionals. The study ran from May to November 2015. Through surveys, interviews and case studies, the
research explored how school libraries can support young people’s political participation both in and outside of
school, what information and information literacy support was provided to school pupils in the run up to the
2015 UK General Election and 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum, how school libraries supported this
provision, and what sources of information outside of school young people use (including mainstream and
social media). This presentation focuses on the key findings of the research project, including the political issues
limiting schools’ ability to engage in critical approaches to information literacy instruction to support young
people’s citizenship.
Mark Shephard, University of Strathclyde
Online behaviours that undermine effective public and political engagement
Using examples from research of online discussions of the Scottish independence referendum, this paper
identifies online behaviours that undermine effective public and political engagement (5 Fs to avoid), as well as
things to be aware of when reading and/or entering into debate with others online (5 Fs to consider). This paper
aims to stimulate classroom discussion and awareness of how to improve online literacy for effective political
and public engagement and so should be of interest to those who teach social media in the classroom as well as
for any citizen who reads and/or engages in debate online.
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Kate Wall, University of Strathclyde
Exploring the ethical issues related to visual methodology when including young children’s voice in wider
research samples
Understanding and working with ethical issues when including young children in educational research is critical
to ensuring their involvement is meaningful. Increasingly, different methodological approaches have been used
to address some of these issues, and the use of visual methods is showing particular potential for its age
appropriateness.
This paper will specifically focus on three examples of drawing based visual method used with samples of
children across compulsory school age from the Learning to Learn in Schools project: Pupil View Templates
(n=263, age range 4-12 years), cartoon storyboards (n=210, age range 4-16 years) and fortune lines (n= 69, 4-14
years). The discussion of each method will be framed from a pragmatic perspective and will particularly focus
on the ethics of process and output, how the method was used and the data that was analysed.
Questions will be asked about the considerations that need to be made when including young children in data
sets with other older school-aged children: the affordances and constraints of the visual approaches for all
participants, the role of the visual as mediator, the impact this has on the nature of the data elicited and the
comparability and reliability of the data used for the basis of conclusions.
Lucas Walsh, Monash University
Understanding New and Conventional Forms of Young People’s Civic Participation: Insights for Citizenship and
Civic Education
Where deficit views of young people continue to prevail in relation to their social, economic and political
participation, this paper explores the nature and motivations of young people’s participation by drawing on
direct research conducted with participants in youth leadership, social entrepreneurial and volunteering
programs. This original research - conducted through focus groups and surveys - used an innovative
methodology that sought to investigate young people’s understandings of power and influence at local, national
and global levels. It found that many are values-driven and participating through new forms of change-making,
such as social enterprises, which seek to bring about change but are not necessarily characterised by young
people as political (Walsh & Black forthcoming). Drawing from the author’s recent book, ‘Educating Generation
Next’ (Walsh 2016), the paper then seeks to conceptualise the initial findings of this study within a broader
political economy of youth that incorporates the social ecologies and the moral economies in which young
people live to inform the work of Citizenship and Civic Educators. In particular, it calls for a deeper
understanding and practice of ordinary citizenship as a basis for active citizenship, which in turn requires
education institutions to be more outward looking in their teaching and learning.
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University of Hull Symposium
Listening to the voices of children through participatory research: exploring ethical considerations and
perceptions of inclusion, exclusion and human rights
There are many issues that need to be carefully considered when carrying out participatory research. These
include the ways power and control are negotiated, how participant’s very personal experiences are shared
and made public, and how different needs and expectations are balanced in the design of the research process
(McTaggart, 1996). When research is intertwined with the participant’s everyday lives, these issues become
even more significant, both to the participants and the researcher. However, this is not always the case when
adults research with children. There are always unequal power-relations while researching which can
disempower children (Kellet, 2005). Participatory research differs from other forms of research in terms of the
central role that the participants play in the process and its epistemological framework links with a more
liberating concept of power. It is allied to ideals of democracy and to being agents of change.
This symposium aims to explore three participatory research projects all rooted in Article 12 of the Convention.
The three speakers will draw on different aspects of the research process through presenting illustrative
examples of ethical dilemmas, the perceptions of children and the experiences of the researchers.
Keywords: Participatory research; children’s perceptions; CRC; ethics.
Presenters
Dr Rebecca Adderley, University of Hull, Listening to the voices of children: using participatory research to
assist the exploration of inclusion and exclusion within four educational settings.
Charlotte Dean, University of Hull, Listening to the voices of children: ethical considerations in participatory
research.
Ally Dunhill, University of Hull, Listening to the voices of children: a reflective account of carrying out
participatory research.
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