Children researching their urban environment: developing a methodology

Abstract

Listening to children: environmental perspectives and the school curriculum (L2C) was a UK research council project based in schools in a socially and economically deprived urban area in England. It focused on 10/12 year old children's experience of their local community and environment, and how they made sense of this in relation both to their lives and the school curriculum. Issues faced by the research team in developing and implementing the project methods are explored including the challenge to promote children's equal involvement with adults in all aspects of the research. A case is made for promoting participatory and collaborative research with children in school settings. It is suggested that through the L2C project, the children developed an approach that was sensitive to children's personal experience and that developed their capacity as researchers and their understanding of the value of research.

Keywords:

• participatory research with children
• children as researchers
• children's perspectives
• local environment research
• environmental education

Notes

1. During Research Team meetings it became evident how much the year 7 children valued their year 12 mentors and so mentors were approached to become involved in L2C; four volunteered. The school has a system of mentoring whereby each tutor group is allocated two year 12 mentors who are given some training; this was initially set up to support children with bullying issues and their role is primarily pastoral.

2. The children made the DVD themselves and this was the children's original idea. The children sought the help of a range of people to make this including representatives from the local Children's Fund, the school IT technician and an older student with experience of acting on television and in the theatre.

3. The final report of the L2C project and some of the other publications arising from this project can be found at http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/ViewAward Page.aspx?AwardId=2576.