Space: Giving learners and families the opportunity to share their voices
-
Gain participants’ informed consent. Provide full, accessible, diversity-sensitive and age-appropriate information about the participation process. This includes the scope, purpose, potential outcomes and impact
-
Provide a safe, trusted, respectful, inclusive and accessible atmosphere
-
Ensure mutual agreement about timing and location that is accessible and convenient for all participants. For example, the activity can take place in-person at a public place like a school or park, in a private space or online
-
Be clear and transparent around the topics, purposes, methods and outcomes. Topics should be meaningful and of interest to the individual or group
-
Share relevant and accessible information ahead of the activity to prepare participants and answer questions
-
Assign a designated person or organisation to oversee the process and remain accountable to the participants
-
Provide participants with space and opportunities to pursue their own agendas and initiate activities, drawing on their perspectives and skills
Practical tools
Guidelines for effective communication with learners in focus groups or interviews
Guidelines for effective communication with learners in focus groups or interviews
This resource outlines principles of effective communication and tips for creating space to listen to learners, including how to formulate and ask questions. It draws from the Supplementary guidance: Listening to learners on inspection created by Estyn, Wales’s education and training inspectorate.
The voices of children with profound and complex learning needs
The voices of children with profound and complex learning needs
This document draws on research conducted after a two-year drama project with children with profound and complex learning needs. It delves into issues of consent, privacy, involving specialists and ensuring reliability when creating opportunities for learners to share their voices.
Learning walks with learners
Learning walks with learners
This one-pager explains the basics of learning walks, which involve learners giving guided ‘tours’ of schools while sharing their thoughts and experiences. Learning walks can also be used as a structured observation method for teachers, as this Edutopia video shows.