TY - JOUR
T1 - Learning walks
T2 - making sense of school through prompts from the physical environment
AU - Kaneva, Dimi
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Economic and Social Research Council [award number ES/J500094/1].
Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2024/9/1
Y1 - 2024/9/1
N2 - This article explores the use of learning walks with children as a participatory research method to make sense of school experiences through prompts from the environment. The method was utilized as a tool to build relationships with the research participants and provide insight into their experiences of school. Seven children learning English as an additional language (EAL) participated in three learning walks and debriefing activities. Key concepts from Laura Lundy’s participation model (2007, 'Voice' is not enough: conceptualising Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, British educational research journal, 33 (6), 927–942. doi: 10.1080/01411920701657033) were utilized to elicit and amplify children’s voices. The learning walks offered space and time for dialogue outside of the classroom and pedagogic structure, an audience that informed the research and influence communicated back to teachers. Children’s experiences of school included accounts of language, belonging and relationships with peers and adults. Offering children the tools and conditions to explore and share their experiences leads to empowerment and a sense of being ‘seen’ within school contexts.
AB - This article explores the use of learning walks with children as a participatory research method to make sense of school experiences through prompts from the environment. The method was utilized as a tool to build relationships with the research participants and provide insight into their experiences of school. Seven children learning English as an additional language (EAL) participated in three learning walks and debriefing activities. Key concepts from Laura Lundy’s participation model (2007, 'Voice' is not enough: conceptualising Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, British educational research journal, 33 (6), 927–942. doi: 10.1080/01411920701657033) were utilized to elicit and amplify children’s voices. The learning walks offered space and time for dialogue outside of the classroom and pedagogic structure, an audience that informed the research and influence communicated back to teachers. Children’s experiences of school included accounts of language, belonging and relationships with peers and adults. Offering children the tools and conditions to explore and share their experiences leads to empowerment and a sense of being ‘seen’ within school contexts.
KW - English as an additional language (EAL)
KW - participatory research methods
KW - learning walks
KW - school experiences
KW - voice
KW - walking methods
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85190791781&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/1743727X.2024.2335185
DO - 10.1080/1743727X.2024.2335185
M3 - Article
VL - 47
SP - 484
EP - 495
JO - International Journal of Research and Method in Education
JF - International Journal of Research and Method in Education
SN - 1743-727X
IS - 5
ER -