Ebook Children And Young People As Action Researchers A Practical Guide To Supporting Pupil Voice In Schools

“As the lead teacher for student voice and participation, this publication has already become an invaluable guide and resource. The book can be used to strengthen, invigorate and champion school councils and pupil voice so much valued by Ofsted. The practical strategies given for how to involve young people in key decision making are easy to follow and will produce solid and impressive results quickly.” Shaun Sedgwick, Assistant Headteacher – Aldridge School This practical two-in-one classroom resource has everything you need to introduce action research in your own educational setting and will help you strengthen pupil voice in your school. You can familiarize yourself with the basics of pupil action research in the accessible Teacher Guide, while your students will be ready to start their research using the downloadable Pupil Resource Packs on the accompanying CD-ROM. The pupil resources are differentiated for primary pupils and secondary students and produced in colour. They contain ready made templates for action research assignments and offer fun, basic handbooks for children and young people to use when embarking on their research, in partnership with a senior member of staff. The resource will enable pupils to feel more confident when in discussion with external visitors, such as OFSTED inspectors. Rita Cheminais’ practical resource will enable you to: Understand the concept, principles and process of pupil-led action research Identify the most appropriate action research approaches to use Unlock the potential of pupils to search for evidence to inform whole school decision-making and bring about change Further develop and build upon existing good practice in pupil-led research Explore the potential to gain a national Change for Children AwardChildren and Young People as Action Researchers is packed with useful information and practical advice, as well as signposting pupils and teachers to further reading, websites and resources. Teachers overseeing pupils’ undertaking action research in primary and secondary schools, academies, PRU’s, FE and Sixth Form colleges will find it indispensable.

Pupil voice is at the heart of Every Child Matters and is the driving force in acknowledging the rights, voice and choice of children and young people today. This very practical up-to-the-minute book is an invaluable and essential resource for all those working directly with pupils in schools and other educational settings, who wish to strengthen the engagement of pupil voice in their every day practice. This book covers: the origin, concept and principles of pupil voice the rights of children and young people in society today how the latest pupil voice national surveys and reports inform ECM practice at whole school, classroom and community levels effective practical approaches for gathering pupils views and enhancing their participation to inform and influence ECM decision-making evaluating the impact and outcomes of pupil voice on effecting change, in line with OFSTED and other national standards requirements. Featuring helpful checklists, models of good practice, templates and photocopiable resources that can be used in pupil voice developmental work, this accessible user-friendly guide is packed with useful information and advice, as well as offering suggestions for further reading, websites and resources. Those who will find this book useful are leaders and managers of Every Child Matters, trainee and experienced teachers, teaching assistants, learning mentors, leading teachers and co-ordinators for Personalised Learning, PSHE and Citizenship, local authority Children’s Services professionals working directly with schools, and lecturers in higher education. If every child and young people’s views really matter, then every educational setting will value using this book.

In this groundbreaking and forward-looking resource, Rita Cheminais clearly explains the impact of the Every Child Matters agenda for teachers working in a range of educational settings. Based on the latest national legislation and developments in education, the book provides an up-to-the-minute guide on how to respond to the exciting challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for teachers as extended schools develop. Coverage includes: An overview of the Every Child Matters Change for Children Programme and its impact on schools and teachers in learning communities How to access personalised learning opportunities for a diversity of learners New roles and responsibilities for teachers working with other paraprofessionals from within schools and from external services School self-evaluation, quality assurance and monitoring the five Every Child Matters outcomes aligned with the OFSTED inspection framework This accessible and user-friendly book provides a wealth of practical resources, including photocopiable sheets and positive solution-focused advice, to support busy teachers trying to keep pace with the amount of new legislation regarding the Change for Children Programme. It is also ideal for all those involved in supporting teachers in schools in responding to new ways of working – senior managers, advisers, inspectors, educational psychologists, ITE lecturers and health and social services professionals.

How often do your primary school pupils have the opportunity to engage in open-ended, sustained pieces of work that offer them choice and control? Do you find that the curriculum restricts openings to provide your pupils with real challenge? Is your school grappling with finding effective ways in which to elicit authentic pupil voice? Children as Researchers in Primary Schools is an innovative and unique resource for practitioners supporting children to become ‘real world’ researchers in the primary classroom. It will supply you with the skills and ideas you need to implement a ‘children as researchers’ framework in your school that can be adapted for different ages and abilities. Children in primary schools are accustomed to being set short-term goals and are often unaware of long-term aims or of the connections between the concepts and skills they are learning. In contrast, this book demonstrates that children engaging in the research process have authentic opportunities to apply invaluable personal, learning and thinking skills while managing their own projects, making their ‘voices’ heard and experiencing increased levels of engagement and self-esteem. Based on the author’s 4-year research study exploring the experiences of young researchers and teachers in primary schools, and on her considerable experience of training young researchers, this book also contains: the history and theory behind ‘children as researchers’ initiatives; a model for good practice based on successful real life case studies; questions for reflective practice; practical examples of research in the classroom; photocopiable resources; opportunities for self-evaluation. This comprehensive resource will be appeal to primary teachers, educational practitioners and students on CPD and ITT courses. It will also be of interest to teacher trainers, to academics involved in teaching and research and to all those interested in promoting children’s voices.

With an increasing emphasis on the role of evidence in education, primary school teachers need to find meaningful ways to engage in research. Teachers and Young Researchers in Action supports teachers and children in carrying out meaningful classroom research that can transform practice. An accessible guide, it shows the different ways in which children and teachers can go about their research, the problems they may meet on the way and the tried and tested methods to meet those challenges. Illustrated with rich real-life examples of research projects – exploring rewards and sanctions, values education, school structures and reading for pleasure – it shows how we can celebrate the importance of the voice of the child in school life, benefitting individual children, teachers and schools alike. This accessible book outlines the benefits of children’s research for individual children, teachers and schools as well as providing case studies that demonstrate how young children’s research projects can be successful. Written for teachers by teachers, this go-to resource will be of interest to anyone working with children as researchers looking to improve their practice and in need of guidance and support.

This accessible guide will be an invaluable resource for early years practitioners looking to make a positive difference in their settings by using action research or teacher enquiry. Guiding readers through the practical steps, issues, and potentials of conducting research in a variety of early childhood settings, the book will increase practitioners’ confidence, enabling them to bridge the gap between recognising room for improvements and instigating necessary changes. Divided into easy-to-follow sections, A Practical Guide to Action Research and Teacher Enquiry: Making a Difference in the Early Years offers clear definitions and explanations of action research along with explanations of how it can be applied in early years settings to effectively and efficiently improve outcomes for children. Chapters outline a clear rationale for engaging in action research, highlight purposes and potentials of various approaches, and provide a helpful step-by-step discussion of the different stages of enquiry. Ten examples of practice are used to clearly illustrate the action research cycle in a variety of settings, and in relation to a range of topics and ages, thereby providing readers with a wealth of tried-and-tested ideas for application in their own settings and projects. These are supported by a range of downloadable resources which can be used as tools to support the planning, reflecting, and evaluation of practitioners’ research activities. Informative, inspiring, and highly relevant to practice, A Practical Guide to Action Research and Teacher Enquiry will support and scaffold the research activities of early years practitioners, managers, and students.

How do you ensure that children's voices and ideas are heard and valued in relation to the settings that form part of their everyday lives? Presenting an easy to adopt step-by-step framework, this book argues in favour of children's potential to advocate for themselves, in contrast to the current model in which adults take full control and advocate on the child's behalf. By honouring and harnessing the involvement and contributions of children, social workers and education professionals will be able to improve their daily practice and positively transform key spaces within society to create environments where children experience a sense of belonging and purpose, full of potential benefits for both adults and children. Practical at its core, the book has wide applications, from examining the place of children in legal matters, such as divorce, through to the child's engagement in decisions about their education. International case studies reveal how the model works in practice and encourages children's voices and their participation.