Tuning into children’s voices: Exploring the perceptions of primary aged children about their education in one primary school in England

Glazzard, Jonathan

Abstract

This small scale study examined children’s views about their education in one primary school in England. The research took place in a large primary school, situated in an area of relative social deprivation in a northern town. A focus group was used to elicit the views of children in Key Stage 2 (aged 7-11) about their teachers, the curriculum, assessment and school inspection. Although the findings cannot be generalised, pupils had mixed views about reading, writing and mathematics. However, they were unanimous in their dislike of science. The data also indicate that pupils felt that the processes of testing and school inspection both served important purposes and that external validation of the school’s performance was necessary. This study provides a springboard for further research into pupils’ perspectives of their primary education.

Citation

Glazzard, J. Tuning into children’s voices: Exploring the perceptions of primary aged children about their education in one primary school in England. International Journal of Education, 4(3), 49-66. https://doi.org/10.5296/ije.v4i3.1933

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Online Publication Date: Aug 27, 2012
• Deposit Date: Dec 4, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 17, 2024
• Journal: International Journal of Education
• Print ISSN: 1948-5476
• Publisher: Macrothink Institute
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 4
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 49-66
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.5296/ije.v4i3.1933
• Keywords: Pupil voice; Primary school; Curriculum; Inspection; Teaching; Learning
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4467675