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Deepening our understanding: Collaboration through online peer-to-peer participatory action research with children
Hala Mreiwed1, Laura H V Wright2, Kate Butler3
1King's University College at Western, Canada.
Insights
Child-led research is feasible for children aged 11-14, fostering fun, new experiences, and learning. This participatory action research model enhances research quality and offers transformative opportunities for all involved.
Area of Science:
- Child and Youth Studies
- Participatory Action Research
- Online Research Methodologies
Background:
- Growing global interest in child-led research faces limitations in children's research leadership.
- Existing literature primarily focuses on older children and youth, with less on younger age groups.
- Online platforms offer potential for broader child participation in research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the feasibility and process of child-led research conducted online.
- To explore the experiences of children aged 11-14 leading a participatory action research project.
- To identify key values and outcomes for child researchers in an online collaborative environment.
Main Methods:
- A one-year online peer-to-peer participatory action research project involving 9 children (ages 11-14) from Ontario and Quebec.
- Collaborative research process from brainstorming and recruitment to design, data collection, analysis, and dissemination.
- Co-written article by child and adult researchers documenting the research journey.
Main Results:
- Child researchers highly valued play and fun, engaging in new experiences, and learning opportunities.
- The online format facilitated participation across different locations.
- The research process demonstrated the potential for children to lead in all research phases.
Conclusions:
- Child-led online research is a feasible model for engaging children aged 11-14.
- This approach can lead to improved research outcomes and transformative experiences for both child and adult researchers.
- Creating space for children's leadership in research is essential for advancing the field.
Abstract:
Child-led research is growing globally, yet there are still limitations for children's leadership in all phases of research. This article, co-written with adult and child researchers, examines child-led research undertaken online with 9 children from Ontario and Quebec over a one-year period. The article explores the process of participating in and collaborating on an online peer-to-peer participatory action research project from the brainstorming stage to recruitment, design, data collection, analysis, and dissemination of knowledge. While much literature exists on older children and youth leading research, this research provides a unique contribution to the literature on the possibilities of creating space for children ages 11 to 14 to lead research. This article finds that the child researchers most valued: (1) Play and fun; (2) Engaging in new experiences; and (3) Learning. The article concludes that child-led research is feasible, and it can create better research and provide a transformative opportunity for child and adult researchers.
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