Transcript
[MUSIC PLAYING]
KIERON SHEEHY
This is part of a research project that we’ve got going, where we’re trying to push the boundaries of children’s research. So the groups of children we’ve are starting to work now are children who typically wouldn’t be trained in research skills, and wouldn’t certainly take on independent projects based on their own interests.
ILDA OURIQUE
Our main aim I think, is to get them to become more independent in their learning, their communication skills.
KIERON SHEEHY
That’s the approach we doing, it hasn’t been done before. And it’s new for children’s research center.
ILDA OURIQUE
The children did need facilitation, they weren’t able to do independently. But I think the fact that they got together, they were able to communicate with each other, decide on questions, decide on topics. So even if that’s all they learned from the project, that is good.
KIERON SHEEHY
So it’s based on giving children research skills, which has benefits in giving children I suppose a voice. And so empowering them to influence decisions in their schools, and in local communities. We know that’s happened for children in primary and secondary schools, but it’s not happened for children with special education needs.
ILDA OURIQUE
They enjoyed communicating, they enjoyed the sessions. And they were very, very communicative and responsive. It’s something that can be done very easily. Obviously, the level of facilitation and guidance will differ depending on the needs of the children.
KIERON SHEEHY
The way in which children interact with one another, how we speak to one another in groups, has a profound effect on their social and cognitive development. And that research again, is only really been done with children in primary schools or secondary schools, no one’s taken that to this group of children. Because their assumption is that they’re not up to it.
ILDA OURIQUE
For this project they’re doing interviews and questionnaires. They worked out the questions beforehand and hopefully getting what they want today. One group are very dissatisfied with the school meals.
SPEAKER 1
I’ve being researching about different kinds of food to like people want.
SPEAKER 2
Maybe chicken tikka.
SPEAKER 1
But we just put loads of questionnaires out.
SPEAKER 2
Loads of yeses and a couple of noes. It’s very interesting.
SPEAKER 1
Like to see more people enjoy meals more.
SPEAKER 2
Gave it to the dinner hall, and then the dinner lady can decide what the children want for dinner.
ILDA OURIQUE
Another group felt that the reason why some students lose concentration and don’t work so hard in class is because the chairs are very uncomfortable. So they would like more comfortable chairs. So they having their research and they’re finding out whether other people feel the same.
KIERON SHEEHY
Children spend most of their school lives here, sat on a particular type of chair.
SPEAKER 3
They’re uncomfortable.
ILDA OURIQUE
What’s the question that your asking people?
SPEAKER 3
Would you like a different chair to sit on?
KIERON SHEEHY
It’s something that we take for granted, but the children want to look at it. So I can feel that’s quite interesting.
ILDA OURIQUE
I think one group, the group that’s actually doing the interviews, they-- although we do have quite a lot of sport in our school, I think being a special needs school there’s not much scope for them to play against other schools.
KIERON SHEEHY
They’re actually researching that to see if there’s a will amongst the rest of the pupils and the staff too, to engage more with other schools in the area to play sport. Which is kind of a very interesting thing, which I don’t think would have come from just asking adults and parents what they wanted from the schools. It’s a research question that’s come from a children’s own interests.
SPEAKER 4
We’re doing a interview with the head teacher.
SPEAKER 5
Ask the teachers and kids.
SPEAKER 6
Do you like sports or not?
SPEAKER 7
We’ve been doing about football, dodge ball, tennis, and golf.
SPEAKER 4
To do school sports with other schools. And then you get to make new friends, meet new people, meet new teachers.
ILDA OURIQUE
So lots of discussion, and working together, and listen to people’s opinions, not shutting anybody down. All those skills were things that we took a practice a lot.
KIERON SHEEHY
The next step really is to get some detail feedback on the approaches we’ve running. We’ve also got a researcher Chae Young, working in the classrooms recording and noting particular aspects of what’s going on. We’re going to use that to develop the project, that we may have to tweak some of the sessions, some of the content. It’s my belief that we can certainly get the children to work in different ways. They can do things that currently they’re not really getting access to, and they’re almost denied access to the sort of skills, which I think are important skill for them to have.
ILDA OURIQUE
They seem to be enjoying the program. So Yeah, they’re quite happy to come to class. So hopefully that’s good feedback. It was really worthwhile. Just the communication, the working together, the social skills, I think that it’s just that if that’s all they get out of this project, it’s good enough. It’s really great.
SPEAKER 7
It’s fun.
SPEAKER 5
Good.