How to Develop Children as Researchers A Step by Step Guide to Teaching the Research Process Mary Kellett eBook covers_pj orange.indd 9526/4/08 15:58:44 H OW TO DEVELOP CHILDREN AS RESEARCHERS Mary Kellett is Director of the Childrens Research Centre at the Open University and lectures in the Faculty of Education. She comes from a strong practitioner background having worked for several years as a teacher and a childrens social worker. She has published on a wide range of issues including additional learning needs, disaffection, self-esteem, ethics and power relations. A Step-by-Step Guide to Teaching the Research Process Mary Kellett H OW TO DEVELOP CHILDREN AS RESEARCHERS Mary Kellett, 2005 First published 2005 Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form, or by any means, only with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction, in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency. Inquiries concerning reproduction outside those terms should be sent to the publishers. Paul Chapman Publishing A SAGE Publications Company 1 Olivers Yard 55 City Road London EC1Y 1SP SAGE Publications Inc 2455 Teller Road Thousand Oaks, California 91320 SAGE Publications India Pvt Ltd B-42, Panchsheel Enclave Post Box 4109 New Delhi 110 017 Library of Congress Control Number: 2004115431 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 1 4129 0829 9 ISBN 1 4129 0830 2 (pbk) Typeset by Dorwyn Ltd, Wells, Somerset. Printed in Great Britain by T.J. International, Padstow, Cornwall Acknowledgementsvii INTRODUCTION1 PART I THE NATURE OF RESEARCH5 1What is research?7 2Learning from other peoples research17 3Research ethics31 4Framing a research question38 PART II DATA COLLECTION45 5Observation techniques47 6Interview techniques63 7Questionnaires and surveys75 8Experimental techniques89 PART III DATA ANALYSIS97 9Analysing qualitative data99 10Analysing quantitative data107 PART IV DISSEMINATION117 11Producing a research report119 12Presentation skills126 13Children as active researchers130 Photocopiable resource bank155 References179 Index181 v C ONTENTS My thanks to all the young researchers and colleagues I have worked with on this project. They are too many to name but their enthusiasm and support have helped make this book possible. And For my father, Denis, who continues to inspire us all. A CKNOWLEDGEMENTS Why Teach Research Methodology to Children? In the adult world research process is greatly valued as an advanced learning tool and whetstone for critical thinking. The importance of research in pro- fessional and personal development is increasingly being acknowledged. So why should children not benefit in a similar way? Traditionally, children have been excluded from this learning process because research methodology is considered too difficult for them. Principal obstacles focus around three key barriers: age (and by implication, competence), knowledge and skills. If we can find ways to overcome these barriers and explore innovative approaches to engage children in the research process then we can access a rich and, hith- erto, largely untapped source through which to develop creativity, critical thinking skills and analytical capability. The content of this book is the result of two years pioneering research exploring, piloting and refining optimal ways to teach research methodology to children without compromising its core principles. The model expounded here seeks to distil rather than dilute the research process. It draws on both the authors research expertise and her classroom teaching experience in the design of an interactive teaching pro- gramme which children can meaningfully engage with. Despite the many changes in the last decade, the National Curriculum is still regarded by many as over-prescriptive in content, broad brush in cover- age and didactic in approach. A frequent complaint by educationalists is that, with the demise of topic work, children rarely have the opportunity to study something in real depth (Pyke, 1993). The project still survives in many schools, albeit in a much diluted form, as typified by an 11-year-old child researcher who said: I used to think that doing projects meant gathering stuff from books and the internet. Projects are more than “cut things out and stick things in”. Active research offers an ideal opportunity for pupils to engage with a subject in great depth and work with primary, self-generated data. The research process also provides a good vehicle for metacognition and critical thinking, both through the appraisal of other peoples research and in the design of a pupils own research study. The ability to funnel down to a focused research question, and, where appropriate