Hello, I realise this is a method rather than a resource. However, it is still relevant to the courses aim of involving CYP in research and consultation.
Resource evaluated – Collage
There are many resources which discuss the merits of using visual research methods to carry out research with children. Ruth Leitch (2008) covers a variety of visual methods in her book ‘Doing visual research with children and young people’.
One of the methods featured is Collage. This is a technique whereby different materials, objects and artefacts are pasted or fixed onto a surface in order to create an artistic composition based on a specific theme or subject (Leitch p44).
Compared to other visual methods, such as drawing, collage minimizes the need for artistic ability and has broader possibilities in terms of the age range of the children participating. Whereas drawing can be perceived as ‘childish’, especially by adolescents, the selecting of materials, images and phrases etc.in order to portray experiences, views and feelings is immediately more engaging and practical. Furthermore, basic collage materials such as paper, magazines, scissors and glue are generally accessible and the practice of cutting and sticking is something many children and young people are able to accomplish. However, Bagnoli (2009) notes that researchers need to be mindful of individual levels of artistic skills and confidence. Although the need for artistic ability is minimized through the use of collage, individuals may still feel inhibited and uneasy when asked to produce one. Moreover, the audience to which any creative projects are to be presented to and discussed with must be taken into account. Children and young people, especially adolescents, may be reluctant (un) consciously to reflect upon their individual feelings and views if they are seeking to earn the approval of their peers, which they often are. It is more likely that individuality may be sacrificed to fit in with group norms and values imagined to be shared with others.
In contrast, participants have more editorial control over their material as collages can be easily modified which allows the participant to feel more at ease with their own process of expression. Subsequently, this opens up opportunity for comment on individual experiences and perceptions. However, it should be noted that creative methods demand greater time and reflection on the part of the participant and the researcher. Analysis methods of visual studies tend to be written or oral. These methods often dismiss the real visual dimensions of the finished work and although the apparent visual message of a collage may appear to be self-evident, it is important that the researcher does not jump to conclusions or interpret the statements being made. A child-centred focus must remain during analysis if the symbolic content of the collage is to be interpreted and understood. Therefore it is important to be aware of alternative theories which will allow deeper understanding of the data being portrayed (Bagnoli 2010).
Overall, collage is a valuable method of allowing children and young people to communicate thoughts and feelings in a way that perhaps words cannot say.
Tracy
References:
Bagnoli, A. (2009) ‘Beyond the Standard Interview: The Use of Graphic Elicitation and Arts-based Methods’, Qualitative Research, special issue, 9(5), 547-570.
Bagnoli, A. (2010) Using visual methods in research with young people [online]. Available from [accessed 10th March 2014]
Leitch, R. (2008) ‘Creatively researching children’s narratives through images and drawings’ ed by Thomson, P. in Doing visual research with children and young people. Oxford:Routledge:44-49
Resource evaluated: Confidence to Learn: A guide to extending health education in the primary school. Published by The Health Education Board for Scotland (1998).
This resource is some years old but remains a valuable tool for involving children in planning health education and putting it into practice with the support of the children themselves. The draw and write technique is predominantly used within school settings and was developed as a result of children’s voices not being taken into account when deciding the content and focus of health education within schools.
The resource presents 3 classroom strategies based on drawing and writing activities which enable the teacher to discover what sense the children have made from their learning in terms health. The resource suggests the activities allow the children to demonstrate the following: • What they know, or believe they know about being and staying healthy. • What they know, or believe they know about schools as health promoting schools. • Whether they feel that their school is a heath promoting place and what could be done, by them and others to make it healthier. • The changing perceptions and misconceptions they have around all these issues. • The pictures and written (or dictated) language they use to share their views (Wetton and McCoy 1998: 7).
All 3 strategies have clear instructions. The children are made aware they must not talk about their work or share ideas whilst completing the activities as it’s important the ideas are their own. Those requiring support with writing can use someone to scribe. However, the scribe can only write what they say and cannot make suggestions.
An example of one of the strategies involves children drawing and writing about an imaginary healthy person and then doing the same again but this time thinking about themselves and the person whose job it is to keep them healthy. To support the teacher with the analysing stage example analysis sheets are provided with suggestions as to how the information may be categorised. During this process the resource encourages teachers to focus on what the child has written and only use the pictures to assist in determining what the child means (Wetton and McCoy 1998).
The draw and write approach has a degree of flexibility in terms of the areas of health concentrated on. However, there are important ethical issues to be aware of, especially concerning children’s right to privacy. The very nature of the setting in which the activities take place make privacy practically impossible to achieve. Even if steps are taken to guard against the scrutiny of each-others work it is possible some of the children’s ideas will lead to subsequent teasing by others. There is also the issue of using the drawings in published material as they are much harder to anonymise than the written word. Furthermore, drawings relating to health may provoke emotional reactions, one; from those who may have family or friends facing sensitive health issues and two; those who are aware of the predominance of ‘unhealthy’ in their lives when drawing and writing about ‘healthy’ and ‘unhealthy’ concepts (Backett-Milburn and McKie 1999).
Overall this resource does provide an appropriate method of eliciting children’s opinions. However, ethical issues must be carefully considered. Tracy
References
Wetton, N. and McCoy, M. (1998) confidence to learn: A guide to extending health education in the primary school. Health Education Board for Scotland: Edinburgh
Backett-Milburn, K. and McKie, L (1999) ‘A critical appraisal of the draw and write technique’, Health Education Research, 14 (3), 387-398.
Hello, I realise this is a method rather than a resource. However, it is still relevant to the courses aim of involving CYP in research and consultation.
ReplyDeleteResource evaluated – Collage
There are many resources which discuss the merits of using visual research methods to carry out research with children. Ruth Leitch (2008) covers a variety of visual methods in her book ‘Doing visual research with children and young people’.
One of the methods featured is Collage. This is a technique whereby different materials, objects and artefacts are pasted or fixed onto a surface in order to create an artistic composition based on a specific theme or subject (Leitch p44).
Compared to other visual methods, such as drawing, collage minimizes the need for artistic ability and has broader possibilities in terms of the age range of the children participating. Whereas drawing can be perceived as ‘childish’, especially by adolescents, the selecting of materials, images and phrases etc.in order to portray experiences, views and feelings is immediately more engaging and practical. Furthermore, basic collage materials such as paper, magazines, scissors and glue are generally accessible and the practice of cutting and sticking is something many children and young people are able to accomplish. However, Bagnoli (2009) notes that researchers need to be mindful of individual levels of artistic skills and confidence. Although the need for artistic ability is minimized through the use of collage, individuals may still feel inhibited and uneasy when asked to produce one. Moreover, the audience to which any creative projects are to be presented to and discussed with must be taken into account. Children and young people, especially adolescents, may be reluctant (un) consciously to reflect upon their individual feelings and views if they are seeking to earn the approval of their peers, which they often are. It is more likely that individuality may be sacrificed to fit in with group norms and values imagined to be shared with others.
In contrast, participants have more editorial control over their material as collages can be easily modified which allows the participant to feel more at ease with their own process of expression. Subsequently, this opens up opportunity for comment on individual experiences and perceptions. However, it should be noted that creative methods demand greater time and reflection on the part of the participant and the researcher. Analysis methods of visual studies tend to be written or oral. These methods often dismiss the real visual dimensions of the finished work and although the apparent visual message of a collage may appear to be self-evident, it is important that the researcher does not jump to conclusions or interpret the statements being made. A child-centred focus must remain during analysis if the symbolic content of the collage is to be interpreted and understood. Therefore it is important to be aware of alternative theories which will allow deeper understanding of the data being portrayed (Bagnoli 2010).
Overall, collage is a valuable method of allowing children and young people to communicate thoughts and feelings in a way that perhaps words cannot say.
Tracy
References:
Bagnoli, A. (2009) ‘Beyond the Standard Interview: The Use of Graphic Elicitation and Arts-based Methods’, Qualitative Research, special issue, 9(5), 547-570.
Bagnoli, A. (2010) Using visual methods in research with young people [online]. Available from [accessed 10th March 2014]
Leitch, R. (2008) ‘Creatively researching children’s narratives through images and drawings’ ed by Thomson, P. in Doing visual research with children and young people. Oxford:Routledge:44-49
Resource evaluated:
ReplyDeleteConfidence to Learn: A guide to extending health education in the primary school.
Published by The Health Education Board for Scotland (1998).
This resource is some years old but remains a valuable tool for involving children in planning health education and putting it into practice with the support of the children themselves. The draw and write technique is predominantly used within school settings and was developed as a result of children’s voices not being taken into account when deciding the content and focus of health education within schools.
The resource presents 3 classroom strategies based on drawing and writing activities which enable the teacher to discover what sense the children have made from their learning in terms health. The resource suggests the activities allow the children to demonstrate the following:
• What they know, or believe they know about being and staying healthy.
• What they know, or believe they know about schools as health promoting schools.
• Whether they feel that their school is a heath promoting place and what could be done, by them and others to make it healthier.
• The changing perceptions and misconceptions they have around all these issues.
• The pictures and written (or dictated) language they use to share their views (Wetton and McCoy 1998: 7).
All 3 strategies have clear instructions. The children are made aware they must not talk about their work or share ideas whilst completing the activities as it’s important the ideas are their own. Those requiring support with writing can use someone to scribe. However, the scribe can only write what they say and cannot make suggestions.
An example of one of the strategies involves children drawing and writing about an imaginary healthy person and then doing the same again but this time thinking about themselves and the person whose job it is to keep them healthy.
To support the teacher with the analysing stage example analysis sheets are provided with suggestions as to how the information may be categorised. During this process the resource encourages teachers to focus on what the child has written and only use the pictures to assist in determining what the child means (Wetton and McCoy 1998).
The draw and write approach has a degree of flexibility in terms of the areas of health concentrated on. However, there are important ethical issues to be aware of, especially concerning children’s right to privacy. The very nature of the setting in which the activities take place make privacy practically impossible to achieve. Even if steps are taken to guard against the scrutiny of each-others work it is possible some of the children’s ideas will lead to subsequent teasing by others. There is also the issue of using the drawings in published material as they are much harder to anonymise than the written word. Furthermore, drawings relating to health may provoke emotional reactions, one; from those who may have family or friends facing sensitive health issues and two; those who are aware of the predominance of ‘unhealthy’ in their lives when drawing and writing about ‘healthy’ and ‘unhealthy’ concepts (Backett-Milburn and McKie 1999).
Overall this resource does provide an appropriate method of eliciting children’s opinions. However, ethical issues must be carefully considered.
Tracy
References
Wetton, N. and McCoy, M. (1998) confidence to learn: A guide to extending health education in the primary school. Health Education Board for Scotland: Edinburgh
Backett-Milburn, K. and McKie, L (1999) ‘A critical appraisal of the draw and write technique’, Health Education Research, 14 (3), 387-398.