Visualising children’s participation in research: Lego Duplo, rainbows and clouds and moodboards

Abstract

This paper examines the use of visual methods during research encounters with children and young people when investigating their perspectives and feelings towards their home and school life. By revealing the advantages and constraints of three visual approaches, including Lego Duplo, rainbows and clouds and moodboards, the paper contributes to the range of techniques available when conducting research with children and young people. In conclusion, the paper highlights the depth of information which can be elicited from visual techniques as well as the oral data which can be obtained through the utilisation of visual methods.

Keywords:

• geography
• children
• qualitative methods
• visual methods

Acknowledgements

Thanks are due to the ESRC for funding the research upon which this article is based, and to Clare Holdsworth and Jo Waters for supervising the research. Many thanks also to Sarah L. Holloway and the editors of this special issue for their constructive comments on an earlier draft of this paper, and to the children and young people who took part in this research.

Notes

1. Analysis of the research findings is beyond the scope of this paper.

2. With regard to the specific methods mentioned in this paper, the use of Duplo was trialled with 4–5-year-olds, rainbows and clouds were piloted with 7–9-year-olds and moodboards were used with 15–16-year-olds.

3. In the second school-based project, Duplo and rainbows and clouds were available in all encounters with children in Year 1 and Year 4 alongside other methods including rating activities, expressive faces and storyboards. Their use in each interview situation depended on the preferences of the child(ren) and the time available which was dictated by school staff.

4. In 2006, fewer than 20% of pupils taking General Certificate of Secondary Education examinations in England studied art and design (Vidal Rodeiro, 2007).