Is the Childs' Voice Heard in Nursery and Reception Classrooms?

Is the Childs's Voice Heard in Nursery and Reception Classrooms?
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Introduction
Examined literature demonstrates that early childhood is a very important moment in the life of a child and that the education system should be customized to meet the needs of the learners. The literature review examined how the voice of the child is heard in nursery and reception classrooms in the UK. The conclusion of the studies demonstrated the need for teachers to hear the voice of students. In particular, Salehinejad and others (2021) demonstrated that children should not be viewed as passive observers, but rather as active participants in important processes, including the educational process. The researchers further indicated that in early childhood, brain connections happen at a higher speed, which plays a major role in helping children to form major conceptions about themselves. Despite the importance of hearing children’s voices, Clarke, Boorman, and Nind (2011, cited in Flewitt, 2014) indicate that sometimes their voices are unheard since they are silenced. This is despite Morgan (2011) underscoring consultation in the classroom as an important tool for improving learning. Gallagher et al. (2017) indicate that the failure to listen to the voice of children is because they are seen as less deserving and not competent in their views. Shaw (2019) further warns that educators have resistance to listening to the voice of children.
Morgan (2011) indicates that consultation in the classroom is a critical component. The researcher believes that a policy is needed to ensure that consulting learners are done regularly. Earlier literature has called on the need to broaden the range of voices being heard in the classroom. For instance, Tangen (2008) calls for participatory methodologies where children are viewed as co-researchers. Educators need to collaborate with children to gain a better understanding of their experiences and perspectives. Shaw (2019) provides that a child-centered approach is critical in allowing teachers to work together with learners to establish a conducive learning environment. At the same time, Mindrila (2020) considers a learner-centered education as critical in meeting the diverse needs of the learners. According to Creese and Blackledge (2015), there is a need to avoid a constraining environment in the classroom. Since the world has increasingly become globalized, there is a need for teachers to remove such restrictions to ensure that learners are prepared for the global stage.
References
Creese, A., and Blackledge, A. (2015). Translanguaging and identity in educational settings. Annual review of applied linguistics, 35, 20-35.
Fleming, T. P., Watkins, A. J., Velasques, M. A., Mathers, J. C., Prentice, A. M., Stephenson, J., ... and Godfrey, K. M. (2018). Origins of lifetime health around the time of conception: causes and consequences. The Lancet, 391(10132), 1842-1852
Gallagher, M., Prior, J., Needham, M., and Holmes, R. (2017). Listening differently: A pedagogy for expanded listening. British Educational Research Journal, 43(6), 1246-1265.
Morgan, B. (2011). Consulting pupils about classroom teaching and learning: policy, practice and response in one school. Research Papers in Education, 26(4), 445-467.
Salehinejad MA, Ghanavati E, Rashid MHA, Nitsche MA. Hot and cold executive functions in the brain: A prefrontal-cingular network. Brain and Neuroscience Advances. 2021;5. doi:10.1177/23982128211007769
Shaw, P. A. (2019). Engaging with young children’s voices: implications for practitioners’ pedagogical practice. Education 3-13, 47(7), 806-818.
Tangen, R. (2008). Listening to children’s voices in educational research: some theoretical and methodological problems. European journal of special needs education, 23(2), 157-166.
Methodology
Aim and Objectives
The study aims to investigate if the voice of the child is heard in nursery and reception classrooms in the UK. The objectives of the research include:
1 Explore ways in which children’s voices are being heard in the classroom
2 Understand how teachers perceive the voice of the child in the classroom
3 Assess the impact of a child’s voice being heard in the class
4 Identify barriers that make it difficult to hear a child’s voice in the classroom
5 Make recommendations on improving the voice of the child in the classroom.
Research Questions
The study will address the following research questions.
1 How are children’s voices being heard in the classroom?
2 How do teachers perceive the voice of the child in the classroom?
3 What is the impact of hearing a child’s voice in the classroom?
4 What are some of the barriers that hinder a child’s voice in the classroom?
5 What recommendations can be made to improve the child’s voice in the classroom?
Significance of the study
The study is critical because it tackles an important aspect of a child’s education. In most cases, teachers tend to ignore the voice of the child in the classroom, despite its negative implications on the learning process of the learners. Since the study explores how the voice of the child is heard in the classroom, it provides valuable insights into how earlyhood education can be enhanced. The findings of the study will be of interest to stakeholders in the UK including teachers, policymakers, and parents. It will assist to inform the development of policies and practices that support the active participation of learners in the classroom. This will improve the quality of education in the UK, and contribute to the competitiveness of the learners who have undergone through its education system.
Theoretical framework
Haris and Manatakis (2013) provide a comprehensive framework to assist learners in participating in the classroom. The framework demonstrates that consulting children in the classroom is not a one-off event, rather it should be continuous. Haris and Manatakis (2013) believe that consultations should involve all the relevant stakeholders. The confutations also need to have adequate resources like time and human capital. Further, Haris and Manatakis (2013) demonstrate the need to organize professional development workshops to equip stakeholders with the relevant skills to engage children in meaningful consultations and understand how to tailor their approaches to children and context. Haris and Manatakis (2013) further indicate the importance of tracking children’s messages and offering feedback to children and other stakeholders. Such a move will ensure that educators implement measures aimed at recognizing the importance of the voices of children. The framework would be instrumental in the research since it will provide a comprehensive way of looking at the research topic.
Research Design
The research design will employ a qualitative study. In a qualitative study, the researcher collects and analyzes non-numerical data to understand concepts and experiences. The data is gathered through direct observation and interaction with the participants. The design is used extensively by investigators studying human behavior and motivations. In the study, semi-structured interviews will be conducted with the teachers and children in nursery and reception classrooms in the UK. The interviews will be audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. A thematic analysis entails data coding, identification of themes, interpretation of the themes, and analysis of those themes concerning the research question identified. The research design will allow the investigator to gain a deep understanding of the experiences of the students and teachers concerning the aim of the study.
Research Subjects/Participants
The research participants consisted of students and teachers in nursery and reception classrooms in the UK. The participants will be selected from different schools, including state, private, and faith schools. The inclusion criteria for the teachers will be those teaching in nursery and reception classrooms. They should have taught for at least a year in a particular school in the UK. The inclusion criteria will be students currently in nursery and reception classes in the UK. The children should be aged three to five years.
Sample and Sampling Techniques
The sample size for the study will be 15 students and 15 teachers. The sample size will be large enough to capture the diverse experiences of the participants, while also giving the researcher the convenience needed to capture the experiences of the population. The selection of the sample will be through purposeful sampling. The technique is non-probabilistic in which investigators rely on their judgment to identify participants for the study. It is widely used in qualitative research when dealing with information-rich cases that need the most effective use of limited resources (Campbell et al., 2020). In the study, the participants will be selected based on the characteristics that the investigator deems relevant to the research questions. In particular, the teachers will be selected based on their experience with the voice of children in the classroom, while the students will be the children who need to express their voices in the same setting. Participation in the study will be voluntary with consent obtained from all the subjects.
Data Collection
The participants who meet the inclusion criteria will be invited for a one-on-one semi-structured interview. The interviews will be done in private sessions to minimize distractions to the participants. Before the interview sessions, the researcher will obtain informed consent from the participants. The participants will be i...