“Ask Them” Again: An Inquiry-based Approach to Incorporating Children’s Participation Rights in a Rural, Agriculture-focused Canadian Elementary School

Abstract

We strove to incorporate United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) Article 12 into a broader project focused on an elementary school’s curriculum development by inviting the students to express their views on their education. In two studies conducted approximately a month apart, children aged 5 to 10 years were asked to draw pictures about school and then describe and explain their drawings to a member of the research team. Findings revealed differences in children’s thoughts on what they want at school (Study 1, N=37) versus what they think their education should involve (Study 2, N=36). In particular, children tended to focus on STEM, physical activity, and nature when describing what their education should involve. Together, our studies in combination with previous findings suggest that children have common beliefs about their education.