Engaging children in research about

Engaging children in research about sensitive issues
There is an increasing acceptance that hearing children’s voices directly, including though the research process, is of critical importance. The institute’s research activity is explicitly framed with a child-centered approach, which, among other things, seeks to involve children actively so as to better understand and respond appropriately to their unique perspectives and experiences (Moore et al., 2007; Winkworth & McArthur, 2007). Our challenge is to do this in a way that is both effective and ethical.
Fortunately, over the past two decades there has been a growing interest in finding better ways to facilitate the hearing of children’s voices in all aspects of the research process. The changing view of children leading to their direct inclusion in research has meant a rethinking in research methods and research topics but also a growing confidence in sharing power and responsibility of all aspects of research design (Alderson, 1999). This has resulted in a wealth of information for potential researchers to draw on when engaging in research with children (Noble-Carr, 2007). Inherent to this growing commitment of involving children in research has been the willingness of researchers to critically reflect on their chosen methodologies and share their experiences of what has, and has not, worked. Such commitment to critical thinking and reflexive practice enables innovative and flexible research models to evolve and this has been particularly helpful in trying to piece together a best practice framework from which our own study of children’s experiences of homelessness was based.
Engaging children using a children’s reference group
In 1997 Ward argued that in ethical research children should not only be the “subjects” of research but should also be encouraged to play an active part throughout the life of the project, from the early planning stages through to the sharing of findings. To maximize their involvement in the project, we invited children to participate in a reference group for the life of the project. This reflected our belief that children should have a central place in processes that affect their lives and the view that research is considerably enhanced when children’s views and perspectives are elicited. The aim of the reference group was to provide us with a better idea of how the children wanted to be asked about their experiences of homelessness, to provide feedback on proposed research tools, and to assist us in understanding children’s views. Workers within the homelessness sector were asked to approach families to participate. They gave them a brochure about the purpose and the nature of the group and invited them to contact
the research team if they wished to participate.2 Both parents and children consented to their children’s involvement, and parents were kept informed of the group’s progress. Six children aged between 6 and 12 from three families participated in meetings of the Children’s Reference Group. Unfortunately, because the project was a commissioned study, children were not involved in identifying the project or in the initial planning stage (the development of the project plan and internal ethics approval processes). However, as soon as the reference group was established, children were asked to provide feedback on the research plan and its focus. At two workshops the Children’s Reference Group worked with the research team to develop a deeper understanding of how children might prefer to be consulted about sensitive issues and to clarify the research question. At the first workshop children were asked how researchers might make a child feel comfortable, how to make a space child friendly, and how adults might show
that they are listening to and respecting the views of children. They also provided strategies on how we might respond if children became upset throughout the research process. From these recommendations and from learning gleaned from the literature (see Noble-Carr, 2007) the research team developed an interview schedule and other tools to engage children in the project. At the second workshop children were asked for feedback on the use and choice of the proposed research tools. This was achieved primarily by trialing the various games, discussions, and one on- one activities with the children before seeking feedback. At this workshop it soon became apparent that some of the organized activities took longer and were more engaging than others and that it was important to intersperse fun activities among the more “serious” discussions to maximize children’s attention and enjoyment. After we had modified the interview design, children were interviewed by one of the researchers. Some days later, they were then contacted by another member of the team and were asked about how the interview had been conducted, the effectiveness and “child-friendliness” of the tools, and the personal style of the interviewer. From these conversations changes were made. When gathering feedback from the younger children, one researcher used a “Cheezel scale” to help children talk about their experience. She placed five Cheezels (ring-shaped cheese snacks) on her fingers and asked the children to score each section of the interview out of 5 in relation to its child-friendliness, the extent to which it was fun, and whether the researcher listened and understood their answers. Although the children could eat the snacks if they removed them from her fingers, they generally ranked the sections highly before explaining their decision. They reported that this was a fun way of giving feedback. From this advice, tools were then modified before being used with other children. We consider that the Children’s Reference Group played an integral part in the development of the project and provided invaluable advice and expertise that helped guide and direct the research process. Other children who participated in the project also seemed to be less anxious about their involvement after hearing that it had been developed with assistance from children who had similar experiences to theirs. We will discuss the reference group members’ input in the
following sections.

Hasil (Bahasa Indonesia) 1:

Anak-anak yang terlibat dalam penelitian tentang isu-isu sensitifAda peningkatan penerimaan yang anak-anak pendengaran suara langsung, termasuk meskipun proses penelitian, adalah sangat penting. Aktivitas Penelitian Institut secara eksplisit dibingkai dengan pendekatan yang berpusat pada anak, yang, antara lain, berusaha untuk melibatkan anak-anak secara aktif untuk lebih memahami dan menanggapi dengan tepat mereka perspektif yang unik dan pengalaman (Moore et al., 2007; Winkworth & McArthur, 2007). Tantangan kami adalah untuk melakukan hal ini dengan cara yang efektif dan beretika.Fortunately, over the past two decades there has been a growing interest in finding better ways to facilitate the hearing of children’s voices in all aspects of the research process. The changing view of children leading to their direct inclusion in research has meant a rethinking in research methods and research topics but also a growing confidence in sharing power and responsibility of all aspects of research design (Alderson, 1999). This has resulted in a wealth of information for potential researchers to draw on when engaging in research with children (Noble-Carr, 2007). Inherent to this growing commitment of involving children in research has been the willingness of researchers to critically reflect on their chosen methodologies and share their experiences of what has, and has not, worked. Such commitment to critical thinking and reflexive practice enables innovative and flexible research models to evolve and this has been particularly helpful in trying to piece together a best practice framework from which our own study of children’s experiences of homelessness was based.Engaging children using a children’s reference groupIn 1997 Ward argued that in ethical research children should not only be the “subjects” of research but should also be encouraged to play an active part throughout the life of the project, from the early planning stages through to the sharing of findings. To maximize their involvement in the project, we invited children to participate in a reference group for the life of the project. This reflected our belief that children should have a central place in processes that affect their lives and the view that research is considerably enhanced when children’s views and perspectives are elicited. The aim of the reference group was to provide us with a better idea of how the children wanted to be asked about their experiences of homelessness, to provide feedback on proposed research tools, and to assist us in understanding children’s views. Workers within the homelessness sector were asked to approach families to participate. They gave them a brochure about the purpose and the nature of the group and invited them to contactthe research team if they wished to participate.2 Both parents and children consented to their children’s involvement, and parents were kept informed of the group’s progress. Six children aged between 6 and 12 from three families participated in meetings of the Children’s Reference Group. Unfortunately, because the project was a commissioned study, children were not involved in identifying the project or in the initial planning stage (the development of the project plan and internal ethics approval processes). However, as soon as the reference group was established, children were asked to provide feedback on the research plan and its focus. At two workshops the Children’s Reference Group worked with the research team to develop a deeper understanding of how children might prefer to be consulted about sensitive issues and to clarify the research question. At the first workshop children were asked how researchers might make a child feel comfortable, how to make a space child friendly, and how adults might showthat they are listening to and respecting the views of children. They also provided strategies on how we might respond if children became upset throughout the research process. From these recommendations and from learning gleaned from the literature (see Noble-Carr, 2007) the research team developed an interview schedule and other tools to engage children in the project. At the second workshop children were asked for feedback on the use and choice of the proposed research tools. This was achieved primarily by trialing the various games, discussions, and one on- one activities with the children before seeking feedback. At this workshop it soon became apparent that some of the organized activities took longer and were more engaging than others and that it was important to intersperse fun activities among the more “serious” discussions to maximize children’s attention and enjoyment. After we had modified the interview design, children were interviewed by one of the researchers. Some days later, they were then contacted by another member of the team and were asked about how the interview had been conducted, the effectiveness and “child-friendliness” of the tools, and the personal style of the interviewer. From these conversations changes were made. When gathering feedback from the younger children, one researcher used a “Cheezel scale” to help children talk about their experience. She placed five Cheezels (ring-shaped cheese snacks) on her fingers and asked the children to score each section of the interview out of 5 in relation to its child-friendliness, the extent to which it was fun, and whether the researcher listened and understood their answers. Although the children could eat the snacks if they removed them from her fingers, they generally ranked the sections highly before explaining their decision. They reported that this was a fun way of giving feedback. From this advice, tools were then modified before being used with other children. We consider that the Children’s Reference Group played an integral part in the development of the project and provided invaluable advice and expertise that helped guide and direct the research process. Other children who participated in the project also seemed to be less anxious about their involvement after hearing that it had been developed with assistance from children who had similar experiences to theirs. We will discuss the reference group members’ input in thefollowing sections.

Hasil (Bahasa Indonesia) 2:

Melibatkan anak-anak dalam penelitian tentang isu-isu sensitif
Ada peningkatan penerimaan yang mendengar suara anak-anak secara langsung, termasuk melalui proses penelitian, adalah sangat penting. Kegiatan penelitian lembaga itu secara eksplisit dibingkai dengan berpusat pada anak pendekatan, yang, antara lain, berusaha untuk melibatkan anak-anak secara aktif sehingga dapat lebih memahami dan merespons dengan tepat untuk perspektif dan pengalaman mereka yang unik (Moore et al, 2007;. Winkworth & McArthur 2007). Tantangan kita adalah untuk melakukan hal ini dengan cara yang efektif dan etis.
Untungnya, selama dua dekade terakhir telah terjadi minat dalam menemukan cara yang lebih baik untuk memfasilitasi mendengar suara anak-anak dalam semua aspek proses penelitian. Perubahan pandangan anak-anak yang mengarah ke dimasukkannya langsung mereka dalam penelitian berarti pemikiran ulang dalam metode penelitian dan topik penelitian tetapi juga kepercayaan diri tumbuh dalam berbagi kekuasaan dan tanggung jawab semua aspek desain penelitian (Alderson, 1999). Hal ini mengakibatkan banyak informasi bagi para peneliti potensial untuk menarik pada saat yang terlibat dalam penelitian dengan anak-anak (Noble-Carr, 2007). Melekat komitmen ini semakin melibatkan anak-anak dalam penelitian telah kesediaan peneliti untuk secara kritis merefleksikan metodologi yang mereka pilih dan berbagi pengalaman mereka apa yang telah, dan belum, bekerja. Komitmen tersebut untuk berpikir kritis dan praktek refleksif memungkinkan model penelitian yang inovatif dan fleksibel untuk berkembang dan ini telah sangat membantu dalam mencoba untuk menyusun sebuah kerangka kerja praktek terbaik dari yang studi kita sendiri pengalaman anak-anak tunawisma didasarkan.
Anak Engaging menggunakan referensi anak-anak Kelompok
Pada tahun 1997 Ward berpendapat bahwa pada anak-anak penelitian etika tidak harus hanya menjadi "subjek" penelitian tetapi juga harus didorong untuk memainkan peran aktif sepanjang hidup proyek, dari tahap perencanaan awal melalui berbagi temuan. Untuk memaksimalkan keterlibatan mereka dalam proyek, kami mengundang anak-anak untuk berpartisipasi dalam kelompok referensi untuk kehidupan proyek. Ini tercermin keyakinan kami bahwa anak-anak harus memiliki tempat sentral dalam proses yang mempengaruhi kehidupan mereka dan pandangan bahwa penelitian jauh ditingkatkan ketika pandangan dan perspektif anak-anak yang menimbulkan. Tujuan dari kelompok referensi adalah untuk menyediakan kami dengan ide yang lebih baik tentang bagaimana anak-anak ingin ditanyakan tentang pengalaman mereka tunawisma, untuk memberikan umpan balik pada alat penelitian yang diusulkan, dan untuk membantu kami dalam memahami pandangan anak-anak. Pekerja di sektor tunawisma diminta untuk mendekati keluarga untuk berpartisipasi. Mereka memberi mereka brosur tentang tujuan dan sifat dari kelompok dan mengundang mereka untuk menghubungi
tim peneliti jika mereka ingin participate.2 Kedua orang tua dan anak-anak menyetujui keterlibatan anak-anak mereka, dan orang tua yang terus informasi dari kemajuan kelompok. Enam anak berusia antara 6 dan 12 dari tiga keluarga berpartisipasi dalam pertemuan Anak Reference Group. Sayangnya, karena proyek itu merupakan studi yang ditugaskan, anak-anak tidak terlibat dalam mengidentifikasi proyek atau dalam tahap perencanaan awal (pengembangan rencana proyek dan etika internal yang proses persetujuan). Namun, segera setelah kelompok referensi didirikan, anak-anak diminta untuk memberikan umpan balik pada rencana penelitian dan fokus. Pada dua lokakarya Anak Reference Group bekerja sama dengan tim peneliti untuk mengembangkan pemahaman yang lebih dalam bagaimana anak-anak mungkin lebih memilih untuk berkonsultasi tentang isu-isu sensitif dan untuk memperjelas pertanyaan penelitian. Pada lokakarya pertama anak-anak ditanya bagaimana para peneliti bisa membuat anak merasa nyaman, bagaimana membuat anak ruang ramah, dan bagaimana orang dewasa mungkin menunjukkan
bahwa mereka mendengarkan dan menghormati pandangan anak-anak. Mereka juga menyediakan strategi tentang bagaimana kita mungkin merespon jika anak menjadi marah selama proses penelitian. Dari rekomendasi tersebut dan dari pembelajaran yang diperoleh dari literatur (lihat Noble-Carr, 2007) tim peneliti mengembangkan jadwal wawancara dan alat-alat lain untuk melibatkan anak-anak dalam proyek. Pada anak-anak lokakarya kedua diminta untuk umpan balik pada penggunaan dan pilihan alat penelitian yang diusulkan. Ini dicapai terutama oleh uji coba berbagai permainan, diskusi, dan satu lawan satu kegiatan dengan anak-anak sebelum mencari umpan balik. Pada workshop ini segera menjadi jelas bahwa beberapa kegiatan yang diselenggarakan membutuhkan waktu lebih lama dan lebih menarik daripada yang lain dan bahwa penting untuk menyelingi kegiatan yang menyenangkan di antara lebih diskusi "serius" untuk memaksimalkan perhatian dan kenikmatan anak-anak. Setelah kami telah memodifikasi desain wawancara, anak diwawancarai oleh salah satu peneliti. Beberapa hari kemudian, mereka kemudian dihubungi oleh anggota lain dari tim dan diminta tentang bagaimana wawancara telah dilakukan, efektivitas dan "anak-keramahan" alat, dan gaya pribadi pewawancara. Dari percakapan ini perubahan yang dilakukan. Ketika mengumpulkan umpan balik dari anak-anak muda, salah satu peneliti menggunakan "skala Cheezel" untuk membantu anak-anak berbicara tentang pengalaman mereka. Dia ditempatkan lima Cheezels (berbentuk cincin keju makanan ringan) pada jari-jarinya dan meminta anak-anak untuk mencetak setiap bagian dari wawancara dari 5 dalam kaitannya dengan keramahan-anaknya, sejauh mana itu menyenangkan, dan apakah peneliti mendengarkan dan dipahami jawaban mereka. Meskipun anak-anak bisa makan makanan ringan jika mereka dihapus mereka dari jari-jarinya, mereka umumnya peringkat bagian yang sangat sebelum menjelaskan keputusan mereka. Mereka melaporkan bahwa ini adalah cara yang menyenangkan memberikan umpan balik. Dari nasihat ini, alat-alat yang kemudian dimodifikasi sebelum digunakan dengan anak-anak lainnya. Kami menganggap bahwa anak-anak Reference Group memainkan bagian integral dalam pengembangan proyek dan memberikan saran yang sangat berharga dan keahlian yang membantu panduan dan mengarahkan proses penelitian. Anak-anak lain yang berpartisipasi dalam proyek ini juga tampaknya kurang cemas tentang keterlibatan mereka setelah mendengar bahwa itu telah dikembangkan dengan bantuan dari anak-anak yang punya pengalaman serupa dengan mereka. Kita akan membahas masukan anggota kelompok referensi 'di
bagian berikut.