Children researching children: evidence from the KLT survey

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter (peer-reviewed)peer-review

Abstract

Access Research Knowledge (ARK) is a joint initiative between Queen’s University Belfast and the University of Ulster with the aim to make social and political information on Northern Ireland available to the widest possible audience. In 2008, ARK established the Kids’ Life and Times (KLT) survey. KLT is an annual interactive school-based online survey of all children in Northern Ireland in their final year at primary school before they move into post-primary education. The aim of the KLT survey is to give children a voice and say on what they think about school and other issues important to children today and, by doing so, give them an opportunity to help influence policies that affect them. Every year we invite children to suggest topics for the next year's survey, however, in 2013 we received some funding to pilot a much more direct influence of children in the design of the KLT questionnaire. With different approaches, we worked with children directly on two question modules – a set of questions on financial wellbeing and a set on children’s rights: 1. Capturing accurately the financial background of children in survey research has been a challenge for many years. Self-reporting questions have been seen as the most appropriate way of capturing socio-economic status, but the questions were mostly set by adult researchers. In 2013 we piloted a new set of questions on financial wellbeing with children; and 2. Following an implementation of the UNCRC, incorporating children’s rights appropriately in policy making have been of growing concern for many governments. But how do children perceive children’s rights? We worked with a group of children who designed questions on their rights in the 2013 KLT questionnaire. We will draw conclusions on our experiences of working with children on this survey.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationChildhood through the looking glass
PublisherBrill
Pages155-167
Number of pages12
ISBN (Electronic)9781848885295
ISBN (Print)9789004370326
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 01 Jun 2016

Keywords

  • participatory research
  • children
  • survey research
  • Northern Ireland

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Social Sciences

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