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Beyond Passive Participation: From Research on to Research by Children

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Methodological Approaches

Part of the book series: Geographies of Children and Young People ((GCYP,volume 2))

Abstract

Many children’s geographers seek to work with children instead of on their behalf. Conducting participatory research with children for an improved understanding of their lived experiences has become the norm. While many papers reflect on the value of co-constructed knowledge, power issues, and ethical aspects, it appears that the research community is still struggling to understand what it actually means to include primary school-age children as active participants or co-researchers in research projects. Participation remains largely piecemeal and even “child-led” participatory research continues to be adult controlled. It is often argued that a way out of this dilemma is to employ children as researchers. This chapter aims to provide a critical reflection on the practical obligations, challenges, and tensions present in employing primary school-age children as researchers. It draws on a collaborative research project on “water and play”. While children’s participation in research projects as researchers can be viewed as the ultimate goal on the ladder of participation, the author proposes a more realistic and meaningful approach that speaks to children’s interests and capabilities. Rather than achieving the last rung of ladder of participation as a moral obligation, this chapter argues for a more flexible approach in which child and adult researchers constantly negotiate their role and inclusion in a research project. Ideally, child researchers are not simply mini-clones of an adult researcher but active participants. To achieve this, projects need to be more attuned to children’s everyday life and their terms of participation negotiated better. A child may choose to become a researcher who is involved in all stages of a project or a participant who is only involved in the data collection.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geography Department, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

    Christina Ergler

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  1. Christina Ergler
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Correspondence to Christina Ergler .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, United Kingdom

    Ruth Evans

  2. Department of Geography, Loughborough University, Leicestershire, United Kingdom

    Louise Holt

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Ergler, C. (2017). Beyond Passive Participation: From Research on to Research by Children. In: Evans, R., Holt, L. (eds) Methodological Approaches. Geographies of Children and Young People, vol 2. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-020-9_11

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