An action research enquiry into child voice in the primary classroom by empowering children to arrange and implement their own timetable

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper describes one child voice enabling strategy that allowed children in sixth class in an urban primary school in Ireland to have a say in the organisation of their learning. The lack of involvement that children have in the organisation of their school week was questioned and this prompted an investigation into a new approach to enabling child voice in the classroom. Action research is an iterative process that develops through a self-reflective spiral of planning, acting and observing, re-planning and further implementation. Each cycle followed a similar approach, of planning, acting, observing and reflecting. This research found that child voice can be effectively incorporated into the organisation of their learning when neither the teacher nor the children take total control but work together as equal individuals. In this enquiry the children design, implement and adhere to their own weekly timetable while adhering to the regulations set out by the Ireland’s Department of Education and Skills (DES). This research which aims to consider child voice when determining a timetable can be seen as a first step to integrate child-centred approaches into the classroom.