The impact of involving children living in urban areas in decisions about their local community can be dramatic, according to new research from the Economic and Social Research Council. Empowering them can have positive effects on the children's academic and social development and contribute to improving school curricula.
These findings emerge from an innovative research project, led by Professor William Scott of the University of Bath. Professor Scott and his team worked with a group of 11 and 12 year olds in a secondary school in a deprived urban area of South Gloucestershire to explore, and ultimately improve their local environment.
The research project gave the children a leading role: not only did they help determine the focus of the research, they were also an integral part of the research team - designing the process, collecting and analysing data, drawing conclusions and suggesting changes.
The teachers involved in the research reported that the children 'had had a massive boost to their self-esteem, with individuals growing in confidence'. They attributed this to the responsibility and trust children had been given saying that 'what had been achieved was largely generated by the children themselves'.
The teachers were particularly impressed by
The project also involved educationalists, local authority representatives and adult family members and the adult participants were reported to be enthused by the new insights they had gained into how to engage children, the new collaborative working relationships they had established and by the new ways of thinking about the curriculum. One of the teacher researchers described
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Contact: Annika Howard
annika.howard@esrc.ac.uk
44-017-934-13119
Economic & Social Research Council
5-Jul-2006