Challenges of collecting data with young children Tricia Shaw - University of Hull

Engaging with children’s voices: Illuminating inclusive pedagogical activities in the Reception Class. Participative data collection tools  Observations  Diamond ranking using photographs (group interviews)  Children’s drawings (individual interviews) Participative data collection tools  Observations  Diamond ranking using photographs (group interviews)  Children’s drawings (individual interviews)

Challenges with observations  Ethical approval from parents/carers.  Gaining trust and approval versus remaining focused on the data collection.  Establishing achievable expectations.  Ethical approval from parents/carers.  Gaining trust and approval versus remaining focused on the data collection.  Establishing achievable expectations.

Challenges with group interviews Straying from the point R: Are there any learning activities in school that make you feel like that? J: Why I have got loads and loads of colours. R: So what do you think you might draw on this side? That’s not feeling very included? J: I not got no shoes on. R: No shoes, so where are you? J: Oh my dress was too long. Straying from the point R: Are there any learning activities in school that make you feel like that? J: Why I have got loads and loads of colours. R: So what do you think you might draw on this side? That’s not feeling very included? J: I not got no shoes on. R: No shoes, so where are you? J: Oh my dress was too long.

Challenges with group interviews Dominant voices R: In this picture, we’ve got another group activity. Do all the children look like they’re included here, K? J: No R: Just a minute J, K who do you think is not included? K: (No response) J: That boy over there. I: She thinks the same as me! Dominant voices R: In this picture, we’ve got another group activity. Do all the children look like they’re included here, K? J: No R: Just a minute J, K who do you think is not included? K: (No response) J: That boy over there. I: She thinks the same as me!

Challenges with group interviews Avoiding the use of leading questions R: Did you get to choose to do the activity or did Miss H tell you to do the activity? M: Miss H told me to go and do it R: Is that why maybe sometimes you didn't like to do it because somebody else told you to do it? M: (quiet) yes Avoiding the use of leading questions R: Did you get to choose to do the activity or did Miss H tell you to do the activity? M: Miss H told me to go and do it R: Is that why maybe sometimes you didn't like to do it because somebody else told you to do it? M: (quiet) yes

Challenges with group interviews Understanding the meaning of complex terms Using scenarios Understanding the meaning of complex terms Using scenarios

Challenges with individual interviews Making the children feel comfortable  R: I have been coming into your school over the past couple of weeks and what I’d like to do is today is to think about the different ways we can learn. If you are happy to talk to me, could you please draw a smiley face on the bottom of this piece of paper? Now I’ve got some pictures here that I’m going to show you in a minute and what I want you to think about is how those different ways of learning can make you feel included. So if you look at this picture here, some of the children are joining in and playing happily and making friends and having fun and then there’s a little boy who’s not feeling like that, like he’s feeling a bit left out, like he’s not being included in the games, isn’t he? Making the children feel comfortable  R: I have been coming into your school over the past couple of weeks and what I’d like to do is today is to think about the different ways we can learn. If you are happy to talk to me, could you please draw a smiley face on the bottom of this piece of paper? Now I’ve got some pictures here that I’m going to show you in a minute and what I want you to think about is how those different ways of learning can make you feel included. So if you look at this picture here, some of the children are joining in and playing happily and making friends and having fun and then there’s a little boy who’s not feeling like that, like he’s feeling a bit left out, like he’s not being included in the games, isn’t he?

Challenges with individual interviews Short attention span R: And what will your face look like in this picture when you’re feeling really included? What do you think? Will it look like this (smile) or will it look like this (sad)? J: Happy and he’s happy, but that one isn’t. He doesn’t know what to draw. R: No I don’t think he does. You’re right. J: An ear and eyes. Everyone has eyelashes. And at the bottom eyelashes. And now I need to do some hair. My hair is yellow. R: It is isn’t it? J: It sometimes gets long in the bath. Hey I have to cover my eyes. Short attention span R: And what will your face look like in this picture when you’re feeling really included? What do you think? Will it look like this (smile) or will it look like this (sad)? J: Happy and he’s happy, but that one isn’t. He doesn’t know what to draw. R: No I don’t think he does. You’re right. J: An ear and eyes. Everyone has eyelashes. And at the bottom eyelashes. And now I need to do some hair. My hair is yellow. R: It is isn’t it? J: It sometimes gets long in the bath. Hey I have to cover my eyes.

Challenges with individual interviews Difficulty in recalling information R: Do you remember those pictures I showed you? Let me get them out again to remind you. This one where the children are feeling really included. Or this one when they were happy and enjoying themselves. So which activities at school make you feel like that? K: no answer. R: Which ones? Anything? Which ones make you feel a bit like that one Kimberley? Like you’re not included? Which kind of activity makes you feel like that Kimberley? Isobelle has put playing with Elsa makes her feel very included but being in the workshop doesn’t make her feel very included. So that’s what Isobelle put, so what do you think you might put? K: no answer R: Hmm? Long pause. No, you not sure? You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to. Do you not want to do it? No? Ok. Difficulty in recalling information R: Do you remember those pictures I showed you? Let me get them out again to remind you. This one where the children are feeling really included. Or this one when they were happy and enjoying themselves. So which activities at school make you feel like that? K: no answer. R: Which ones? Anything? Which ones make you feel a bit like that one Kimberley? Like you’re not included? Which kind of activity makes you feel like that Kimberley? Isobelle has put playing with Elsa makes her feel very included but being in the workshop doesn’t make her feel very included. So that’s what Isobelle put, so what do you think you might put? K: no answer R: Hmm? Long pause. No, you not sure? You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to. Do you not want to do it? No? Ok.

Disparity in the amount of information received from the children.