You are here

Home » Content

'Closer to the Ground': Pupil 'voice' and the Development of Knowledge about Schools

Journal Name:

  • Turkish Online Journal of Qualitative Inquiry

Publication Year:

  • 2011

Key Words:

Author NameUniversity of Author
Abstract (2. Language): 
Most pupils, if asked, might be expected to have a view about their school and increasingly the value and significance of including pupils' perspectives in matters and decisions which affect them and their lives appears to be gaining recognition. The rationale for, and importance of, including the views and perceptions of those we have described as „closer to the ground', namely the pupils, are asserted in this paper. The argument is advanced that pupils have an important role in helping to develop the knowledge base in schools about learning and the development of the school community. This is based on a belief that pupils have unique perspectives to offer and they deserve to be listened to when constructing our knowledge about schools. Drawing on metaphors from the literature of „bird's eye' and „worm's eye' perspectives on schools, the paper argues that knowledge has been traditionally constructed from the adult „bird's eye' view and that the view from closer to the ground, the „worm's eye view' must neither be overlooked nor constructed from an adult standpoint. A model for engaging „pupils as partners', devised by a primary school in the City of York in England is examined. It is analysed and critiqued in the light of some of the issues surrounding pupil voice which are synthesised from the literature. The substantive argument made in this paper is that whilst the discourse about pupil Voice' may often sound progressive, the language can be vague and imprecise and the practical applications varied. A case is therefore made for more rigour to infuse policy and planning in this field and in particular more clarity and precision in the application of concepts and use of terminology.
Bookmark/Search this post with
FULL TEXT (PDF): 
PDF icon arastirmax-closer-ground-pupil-voice-and-development-knowledge-about-schools.pdf
  • 1
1
15
  • English

REFERENCES

References: 

Brighouse, T., & Woods, D. (1999). How to improve your school. London: Routledge.
Central Advisory Council for Education (England) (1967). Chidddren and their primary schools. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office.
Clark, A., & Moss, P. (2006). Listennng to young children. The mosaic approach. London: National Children's Bureau.
Denscombe, M. (2007). The good research guide for small-scale social research projects. Maidenhead: Open University Press.
Department for Children, Schools and Families (2008). Personalised eearning. A practical guide. Nottingham: DCSF Publications.
13
Turkish Online Journal of Qualitative Inquiry, January 2011, 2(1)
Department for Education and Skills (2007). 2020 Vision. Report of the Teaching and Learning in 2020 Review Group. Nottingham: DFES Publications.
Department for Education and Skills (2004). Five year strategy for children and /earners. (Cm. 6272) London: The Stationery Office.
Flutter, J. (2007). Teacher development and pupil voice. Curriculum Journal, 18(3), 343-354. Retrieved July 23, 2008, from http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09585170701589983
Fullan, M. (2001). The new meaning of educational change. London: RoutledgeFalmer and Teachers College Press
Hargreaves, D. (2004). Personalised eearning: Next steps in working laterally. iNet and Specialist Schools and Academies Trust, Retrieved September 13, 2008, from http://www.schoolsnetwork.org.uk/uploads/documents/6492.pdf
Harland, J., Downing D., & A. Johnson (2004). Accountability and school and LEA seff-evaluation. NFER/ ConfEd Annual Research Conference.
Hudson, A. (2007). The voice, role and participation of children and young people. General Teaching Council. Retrieved September 13, 2008, from
http://www.gtce.org.uk/shared/contentlibs/126815/211152/Pupil voice research.pdf
Johnson, K (2004). Children's voices: Pupil leadership in primary schooss. Nottingham: National College for School Leadership.
Johnston, J. (2005). Pupil voice and research: A narrative review. ARECLS E-Journal, 2, 1-11. Retrieved July 23, 2008, fro http://www.ecls.ncl.ac.uk/publish/Volume2/Joanna/joanna.htm
Kellett, M. (2005). How to develop children as researchers. London: Paul Chapman.
Lansdown, G. (2001). Promoting children's participation nn democratic decision-making. Florence: United Nations Children's Fund Innocenti Research Centre.
Leadbeater, C. (2004). Learning about personalisation: How can we put the learner at the heart of the education system? Annesley: Department for Education and Skills Publications.
Leren, T.H. (2006). The importance of student voice. International Journal of Leadership in Education.
9(4), 363-367.
Lewis, A. (2001) Reflections on interviewing children and young people as a method of inquiry in exploring their perspectives on intergration/inclusion. Retrieved August 20, 2008, from http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/120188617/HTMLSTART
MacBeath, J., Boyd, B., Rand, J., & Bell, S. (1995). Schools speak for themselves. London: National Union of Teachers.
MacGilchrist, B., & Buttress, M. (2005). Transforming learning and teaching. London: Paul Chapman.
14
Turkish Online Journal of Qualitative Inquiry, January 2011, 2(1)
May, H. (2005) Whose participation is it anyway? Examining the context of pupil participation in the UK. British Journal of Special Education 32(1), 29-34.
Mitra, D. (2006). Student voice from the inside and the outside: the positioning of challengers. International Journal of Leadership nn Education 9(4), 315-328.
Opie, C. (Ed.). (2004). Doing educational research. A guide to first time researchers. London: Sage.
Ruddock, J., & Flutter, J. (2004). How to improve your school: Giving pupils a voice. London: Continuum.
Rudduck, J. (2003). Pupil voice and citizenship education: A report for the QCA Citizenship and PSHE Team. QCA. Retrieved September 21, 2008, from http://www.qca.org.uk/qca 4849.aspx
Savage, M. & Wood, M. (2006) Making learning better: listening to pupil voice. Secondary Headship,
48.
Scaife, J. (2004). Reliability, validity and credibility. In Opie, C. (Ed.), Doing educational research. A guide to first time researchers. London: Sage.
Scarcroft Primary School (n.d) Pupils as partners schools' handbook. Author.
Teaching and Learning Research Programme. (2003). Consutting pupiss about teaching and learning. Teaching and Learning Research Briefing. Retrieved July 23, 2008, from http://www.tlrp.org.
Thomas, G. (2009). How to do your research project. London: Sage.
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989). Retrieved September 10, 2008, from http://www.unicef.org/crc/
Vincent, C. (1996). Parents and teachers: Power and participation. London: Falmer Press.
Wellington, J. (2000). Educational research. Contemporary issues and practical approaches. London: Continuum.
Whitty, G., & Wisby, E. (2007). Real decision making: school councils in action. Department for Children, Schools and Families, Research Report DCSF-TT001. Retrieved September 13, 2008, from http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/DCSF-RR001.pdf
Wood, E. (2003). The power of pupil perspectives in evidence-based practice: the case of gender and underachievement. Research papers in education, 18(4), 365-383. Retrieved August 5, 2008, from http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0267152032000176864
Wyness, M.G. (2000). Contesting childhood. London: Falmer.
Wyse, D. (2001). Felt tip pens and school councils: Children's participation rights in four English schools'. Children and Society, 15, 209-218.

Thank you for copying data from http://www.arastirmax.com