Teachers' Pupil Control Ideology and Children's Voice Practices in the Island of Ireland

This collaborative study of Queen's University Belfast and Trinity College Dublin examines the educational beliefs of primary school teachers in the Island of Ireland and how these might affect ‘children’s voice’ practices in schools. ‘Educational beliefs’ refer to teachers’ understandings of the purpose of schools, the nature of teaching and learning, the role of the teacher, and the role of pupils. Findings from this study will provide insight into how teachers with different educational beliefs enter into dialogue with one another and with children, in the context of children’s voice initiatives. Such knowledge will help design development programmes which raise teachers’ awareness of their own belief systems through reflection, enabling them to initiate authentic and constructive conversations with children and colleagues (who may differ substantially from them in their ways of thinking), and ultimately, enhance the overall quality and meaningfulness of children’s participation in schools.

Principal investigator: Dr. Stefania Giannakaki.
Project website: www.teachersbelief.com