Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Quantifying Learning in Young Infants: Tracking Leg Actions During a Discovery-learning Task
11:18

Quantifying Learning in Young Infants: Tracking Leg Actions During a Discovery-learning Task

Published on: June 1, 2015

Small shoes, big steps! Empowering children as active researchers

Mary Kellett1

  • 1Open University, Milton Keynes, UK. m.kellett@open.ac.uk

American Journal of Community Psychology
|June 5, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Children leading their own research offers unique insights into their world. Empowering children as active researchers, rather than just participants, yields distinct data and perspectives.

Area of Science:

  • Childhood studies
  • Sociology of childhood
  • Research methodologies

Background:

  • Growing recognition of children's societal status, consumer roles, and rights.
  • Shift towards involving children as participants and co-researchers.
  • Limited prevalence of child-led research (children designing, conducting, and disseminating studies).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore issues in empowering children as active researchers.
  • To highlight the value of child-led research.
  • To present an original research study conducted by a child.

Main Methods:

  • Exploration of theoretical frameworks concerning participation, empowerment, voice, and emancipation.
  • Analysis of the unique "insider" perspective children bring to research.
  • Inclusion of a case study detailing an 11-year-old girl's research project.

Main Results:

  • Child-led inquiry generates distinct data due to children's unique observational, questioning, and communication styles.
  • Empowering children as researchers offers new frontiers for understanding their worlds.
  • Adult support, rather than management, is crucial for successful child-led research.

Conclusions:

  • Child-led research is a valuable and relatively untapped area of inquiry.
  • Children's unique perspectives are critical for a deeper understanding of childhood.
  • Empowering children as autonomous researchers fosters their voice and agency.

More Related Videos

Quantified Assessment of Infant's Gross Motor Abilities Using a Multisensor Wearable09:24

Quantified Assessment of Infant's Gross Motor Abilities Using a Multisensor Wearable

Published on: May 17, 2024

Related Concept Videos

Social Foundations of Self II: The Generalized Other01:20

Social Foundations of Self II: The Generalized Other

According to George Herbert Mead, as children progress beyond the game stage, they develop a more comprehensive understanding of societal rules and norms. This cognitive and social development enables them to internalize the expectations of the broader community, refining their ability to regulate behavior.Consistent participation in organized activities is crucial in helping children recognize that their actions are not isolated but contribute to a more significant, interconnected group effort.
Social Foundations of Self I: Play and Game01:24

Social Foundations of Self I: Play and Game

The development of self in children is deeply rooted in social interactions, mainly through stages of play and structured games. These stages, outlined by sociologist George Herbert Mead, illustrate how children progressively learn to understand and adopt social roles, forming a cohesive sense of self.The Play Stage: Imitation and Simple Role-TakingIn the early years of childhood, the play stage is characterized by imitative behavior, where children engage in role-playing based on familiar...
Steps in the Modeling Process01:14

Steps in the Modeling Process

Albert Bandura's theory of observational learning identifies four critical processes: attention, retention, motor reproduction, and reinforcement or motivation.
Attention is the first necessary component for observational learning. It involves focusing on what the model is doing and saying. For example, if you decide to take a drawing class to enhance your skills, you need to pay close attention to the instructor's words and hand movements. The characteristics of the model significantly...
Case Studies01:22

Case Studies

There are many research methods available to psychologists in their efforts to understand, describe, and explain behavior and the cognitive and biological processes that underlie it.
Piaget's Stage 1 of Cognitive Development01:14

Piaget's Stage 1 of Cognitive Development

The sensorimotor stage, the initial phase of Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development, spans the first two years of a child's life. During this period, infants actively engage with their surroundings, building cognitive awareness through direct interaction with the world. This interaction is primarily based on sensory perception and motor actions, allowing infants to gradually understand basic physical properties and predict how objects interact within their environment.
Exploration...
Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development from Childhood into Adulthood01:25

Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development from Childhood into Adulthood

Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development emphasizes the role of thinking in a child's learning process, suggesting that children are naturally curious about their environment. His approach to development is discontinuous, proposing that cognitive abilities progress through distinct stages, each with unique characteristics. Central to Piaget's theory is schemata—mental structures that allow individuals to understand and interpret the world.
Schemata: Building Blocks of Knowledge
Schemata...