This manuscript h as been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter ^ c e , while others may be from any type of computer printer.
The quality o f th is rep roduction is d e p e n d e n t upon th e quality of th e co p y subm itted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction.
In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, th ese will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion.
Oversize materials (e.g., m aps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand com er and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps.
Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6“ x 9” black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order.
Bell & Howell Information and Learning
300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 USA
UIVLI
800-521-0600o f th e ir P a rticip a tio n R igh ts an d R esp o n sib ilities
ELLEN JANE ANNE MURRAY
Bachelor o f Arts, University o f W innipeg, 1976 Bachelor o f E ducation, University o f Victoria, 1991
Master of E ducation, University o f Victoria, 1995 A D issertation Subm itted In Partial Fulfillm ent of the
R equirem ents for the Degree of
INTERDISCIFLINARY DOCTOR OP PHDX)SOPHY
School o f Child and Y outh Care, Human a n d Social Development and Faculty o f Ekiucation, University of Victoria
We accep t th is dissertation a s conform ing to th e required stand ard
DR. PHnjPlCOOK
S u p e r v lso 4 ^ c h o o l o f Child and Youth Care
DR. ALAN PENCE
Departm entgd_M em ^r, S ch ool o f Child and Youth Care
DR. TED RIECKEN
D epartm ental Member, Faculty of Education
cation
lËrR Hi ILL
en tal Memben__Eacul
MS. SANDRA G
A djunct Member fo^yChildren and Fam ilies
MR. BRENT PARPfTT
External Examiner, D eputy O m budsm an for th e Province of BC © Ellen J a n e Anne Murray, 1999
U niversity of Victoria
All rights reserved. This dissertation m ay n o t be reproduced or transm itted in w hole or in part, in an y form or by an y m eans,
Supervisor: Dr. Philip Cook
ABSTRACT
The c a se s t u d y d o cu m en ted in t h is d isse rta tio n em erged in resp on se to the U n ited N ations D eca d e J a r H um an R ights E du cation , an d it prom oted th e participation rights accord ed all ch ild ren in the
U n ited N ation s C o n ve n tio n on th e R ig h ts o f th e Child. A unifying th em e of th is re sea r ch w a s listen in g to th e children's v o ic e s during th eir participation in a Prim ary-level cu rricu lu m for ch ild ren's rights e d u c a tio n e n title d T he W orld A r o u n d U s. This r e s e a r c h w as con d u cted w ithin o n e G rade 3 classroom o f n in eteen stu d e n ts over a th r e e -m o n th p e r io d , w h e n q u a lita tiv e d a ta w ere s y s te m a tic a lly collected via interview s, narratives, and observations.
The p u rp ose o f th is q ualitative re sea r ch w as to ex p lo re how cu rricu lar e x p e r ie n c e s in flu en ced th e c h ild p articip an ts' em erging co n cep tio n s o f th eir participation rights a n d resp o n sib ilities, w ith a view to b en efiting fu tu r e curriculum m a teria ls for ch ild ren 's rights ed u cation . T his r e se a r c h led to id en tify in g learning a n d tea ch in g strategies, w hich p rom oted the ch ild ren 's em erging c o n c e p tio n s, in lig h t o f th e r e se a r c h g o a l of in form ing e d u c a tio n a l p r a c tic e . In addition, th is resea rch led to d evisin g a fram ework o f participatory in d ic a to r s , w h ic h r e fle c te d t h e c h ild p a r tic ip a n ts ' e m e r g in g co n cep tio n s o f th eir participation rights a n d resp on sib ilities, in light o f th e research goal o f building ed u cation al theory.
D R .P H I L m è o O K
Supervisor^ S ch ool of Child and Y outh Care
DR. ALAN PENCE
mber. School o f Child and Youth Care
I ^ TED RIECKEN
D epartm ental Member, Faculty o f Education
ERHILL ental
MS. SANDRA G Adjunct Mem
cation
hildren and Families
MR. BRENT PARFII
TABLE OF CONTENTS Title Page 1 Abstract 11 Signature Page 111 Table of C ontents Iv List of Tables vll List of Figures vlll A ck n ow led gem en ts Ix D edication x Quote xl CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCING THE CLASSROOM BASED CASE STUDY 1
I. L istening to the Children's Voices 3
II. Introducing this Case S tu d y & Key Participants 6
III. United Nations Decade for Hum an Rights Education 8
iv. E xplaining the Research Purpose & Rationale 13
V. S tatin g the Primary R esearch Q uestion, Objectives, & Goals 16
vl. D elineatin g Theoretical A ssu m p tion s of this Case S tu d y 18
vll. Organization of the D issertation 2 4
CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW 2 7
Part I: C hildren's P a rticip a tio n R ig h ts & th e CRC
I. Review ing Background Information on the CRC 2 9
II. Reviewing the General Framework of the CRC 3 4
III. Exam ining Children's Participation Rights in the CRC 4 2
CHAPTER 2 - co n tin u ed
P art H: C hildren's P a rticip a tio n R ig h ts & M oral D evelop m en t
i. Children's C apacities o f Moral D evelopm ent 6 8
ii. D elineating the T heoretical D ifferences 71
P art HI: C hildren's P a rticip a tio n R ig h ts & R esearch
i. Children's E xperiences o f Participation R ights in R esearch 8 0
ii. Children's Participation in Curricular Research 8 5
CHAPTERS
METHODOLOGY 8 8
Part I: R esearch D esign
i. D escribing an Interpretive Approach to Qualitative R esearch 9 0
ii. O utlining Characteristics of this Q ualitative Case Study 9 4
iii. O utlining Evaluative, D escriptive, & Interpretive C om ponents 9 8
rv. Model for Collecting, Analyzing, & Interpreting the Data 101
V . Fram ework Linking C a se Study D esign w ith Methods 1 0 5
P art H: M eth od s for C o llectin g th e Q u a lita tiv e D ata
i. D escribing the Three Q ualitative D ata Collection M ethods 1 0 8
ii. D iscu ssin g Reliability & Validity o f th e S elected M ethods 1 1 9
CHAPTER 4
INFORMING EDUCATIONAL PRACTICE 1 2 4
Part I: D isc u ssin g th e P ro c ess E v a lu a tio n F in d in gs
i. Process Evaluation Procedure 1 2 6
ii. Guiding Q uestions on C ontextual F actors & Conceptions 1 2 9
iii. Guiding Q uestions on Child Participemts' Evolving Capacities 1 4 6
Part H: In form ing E klucational P ra c tic e
i. Identifying Effective Learning & T each in g Strategies 1 7 0
CHAPTERS
BUILDING EDUCATIONAL THEORY 1 7 8
Part I: D isc u ssin g t h e P roduct E v a lu a tio n F in d in gs
1. Product E valuation Procedure 1 8 0
ii. R ecognizing th e Child Participants' Emerging C on cep tion s 182
Part H: B u ild in g E d u ca tio n a l T heory
i. D evising a Framework of Participatory Indicators 2 0 5
ii. Concluding C om m ents on B uilding E ducational Theory 2 1 7
iii. Sum m arizing Contributions & Lim itations of th is C ase S tu d y 2 2 0 & R ecom m endations for Further R esearch
LITERATURE CITED 2 3 1
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1. Participatory Indicators:
Conceptual Categories:
Table 2 . Participatory Indicators:
Conceptual Categories:
Table 3. Participatory Indicators:
C onceptual Categories:
Table 4. Participatory Indicators:
C onceptual Categories:
Table 5. Participatory Indicators:
Conceptual Categories:
Table 6. Participatory Indicators:
Conceptual Categories: R easoning C onceptualizing R easoning E xercisin g R esponding C onceptualizing R esponding E xercisin g Prosocial Acting C onceptualizing Prosocial Acting E xercisin g 2 1 1 212 2 1 3 2 1 4 2 1 5 2 1 6
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. M ultifaceted C onceptual Framework 1 0 7
Figure 2. Sam p le Concept Map 1 4 5
Figure 3. Sam ple Mstking D ecision s 1 4 9
Figure 4. Sam ple I am learning . . . S h eet 1 6 0
Figure 5. Sam ple Classroom Charter 1 6 3
Figure 6. Sam ple Individual Charter o f Rights 1 6 7
Figure 7. Sam ple Individual Charter o f Rights 1 6 8
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I w ish to th an k th e m em bers o f th e E xam in in g Com m ittee for their expertise offered to m e during th is period o f study:
Dr. P h ilip Cook for h is sh ared in s ig h ts on children's rig h ts advocacy, w h ic h were fun dam en tal to th e d irection of m y acad em ic work in the field o f C hildren's Rights S tu d ie s; Dr. Alan Pence for h is thou ghtful con sid eration given to th is work; Dr. Ted Riecken for h is focused and am iable direction throughout th is study; Dr. Jennifer Hill for her s o u n d advice an d editorial a s s is ta n c e ; Ms. Sandra Griffin for her a stu te in sig h t into h ow to search for a n sw e r s th a t are not readily d iscern ib le; a n d Mr. Brent Parfitt for h is in terest in m y advocacy work w ith an d for children.
I w ish to th a n k th e n in eteen G rad e 3 s tu d e n ts , an d th e ir classroom teach er, w h o se active and coop erative participation during this ca se stu d y su rp a ssed my greatest ex p ec ta tio n s. I w ish to th an k my family a n d friends, w h ose encouragem ent su sta in e d me during th e com pletion o f th is academ ic journey. I a m h op efu l th at this research on exp lorin g ch ild ren's em erging c o n c e p tio n s o f th eir p articip ation righ ts an d r e s p o n s ib ilitie s w ill c o n tr ib u te to a b etter w orld for children and y o u th in th e new m illennium . EJAM
This work is dedicated to th e m em ory of Bill and A nne Murray,
w h o se parental love a n d perpetual guidance w er e d eep ly felt along th is academ ic journey.
QUOTE
By looking h on estly a t th e condition of our children, by understanding th e w ealth o f new information
research offers u s ab ou t them, by listenin g to th e children them selves,
we can begin a more fruitful d iscu ssio n about their needs.
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Source: It Takes a Village an d Other L essons Children Teach Us 1996; New York, NY: Sim on and S ch uster
INTRODUCING THE CLASSROOM-BASED CASE STUDY E xp loring C h ild ren 's E m ergin g C o n c e p tio n s
C hap ter A bstract
T his c h a p te r is d e v o te d to in tr o d u cin g th e c a s e stu d y on exp lorin g ch ild ren 's e m er g in g c o n c e p tio n s o f th e ir p articip ation rights and responsibilities, w h ich w a s con d u cted w ith in one Primary- level classroom where q u alitative d a ta were co llec te d betw een April an d J u n e 1998. F u n d am en tal to con d u ctin g th is research were the h u m a n rig h ts a n d p r in c ip le s reco g n ized in th e U n ited N ation s
Convention on the Rights o f th e C hild (CRC). W hen th is international
covenant w as adopted by the U nited N ations G eneral A ssem bly (UNGA) in 1989, it provided so ciety w ith a com p reh en sive s e t o f universally accepted children's rights o f provision, protection, a n d participation.
T his r e sea r ch a d d r e sse d th e p a rticip a tio n r ig h ts sta te d in A rticles 12 to 17 o f th e CRC, in p articu lar, w h ile it aim ed to dem onstrate th e significance o f Ustening to the children's voices. T h e participation o f th e stu d e n ts w a s en cou raged d u rin g th is classroom - b ased ca se stu d y , w hich cen tred on providing ap p rop riate direction an d gu id an ce for them to ex p er ie n c e th eir p a rticip a tio n rights, in accordance w ith their d evelop m en tal cap acities. It a lso focused on devising in d icators for recogn izin g th e ch ild p a rticip a n t's em erging conceptions o f their participation rights and responsibiU ties.
R ights E du cation, th e resea r ch er lis te n e d to the ch ild p a rticip a n ts
w hile ask in g w h at le s s o n s m ay be gain ed from their re sp o n se s ab out ed u cational practice a n d theory on ch ild ren's em erging co n cep tio n s. L isten in g to th e c h ild r e n 's v o ices w a s a th em e th a t u n ifie d th e research purpose, ration ale, question, objectives, an d g o a ls stated in th is chapter, a s w ell a s th e literature review, case stu d y d esig n and m ethods, and findings d ocu m ented in th is dissertation.
This chapter is divided into seven se c tio n s a s ou tlin ed here. In th e first sectio n , t h e n o tio n o f lis te n in g to the ch ild ren 's v o ices is introduced, w ith a d escrip tio n of ch ild ren 's participation during th is classroom -based c a se stu d y. In the seco n d section, the c a s e stu d y and th e key p articip an ts se le c te d for th is research are o u tlin e d . In the th ir d s e c t io n , n o t io n s o f p rep a rin g c h ild r e n for r e s p o n s ib le citizen sh ip an d p rom otin g stu d en t p articip ation in a sso c ia tio n w ith t h e U n ited N a tio n s D e c a d e f o r H u m a n R ig h ts E d u c a tio n a re in trodu ced. In th e fo u r th sectio n , b oth th e research p u r p o se and ration ale are ex p la in ed . In th e fifth s e c tio n , the prim ary research q u e stio n , o b je ctiv es, a n d go a ls rela ted to inform ing e d u c a tio n a l practice an d b u ild in g e d u c a tio n a l th eo ry are sta ted . In th e s ix th se ctio n , th eo retica l a s s u m p tio n s on w h ic h th is research proceeded are d elineated. In th e se v en th sectio n , th e ogan ization o f th e four remeiining chapters in th e dissertation are sum m arized. Key p oints o f th is chapter are briefly sum m arized in th e Chapter Sum m ary.
The voices o f ch ild ren w ere particularly relev a n t to th e case stu d y d o c u m e n te d in th is d isse r ta tio n , w h ich p la c e d stu d e n ts' participation in cu rricu lu m d evelop m en t p ro cesses a t th e centre o f atten tion . A c o r n e r s to n e o f t h is resea rch w a s lis t e n in g to th e ch ild ren 's v o ic e s d u r in g th e ir p articip ation in d e liv e r y o f th e curriculum en titled The W orld A rou n d Us: A T hem atic Prim ary-Level
Curriculum f o r C h ildren 's R ights E du cation (Murray, 1 9 9 5 ). Listening
to the children involved the aural modaUty, and so it in clu d ed hearing stu d en ts' voices d u rin g inform al con versation s an d sem i-stru ctu red interviews; and, lis t e n in g in c lu d e d reading s tu d e n ts ' w ord s and pictures, and observing their action s an d interactions.
Within the c o n te x t o f th is c a s e study, the term listen in g to the
children's voices gen erally refers to searching for children's points of
view and resp ectfu lly paying a tte n tio n to w hat th e y sa y a n d do by hearing, reading, a n d observing, w h ile ask in g w h a t le s s o n s m ay be gained from the stu d e n ts' voices a b o u t their view s o f th e world (Cox, 1991; C u llin an , 1 9 9 3 ; D avie, 1 9 9 3 ; E rick son & S h u ltz , 1992; Garbarino & Stott, 1989; Gersch, 1996; Paley, 1986; R odham Clinton, 1 9 9 5 ). Listening to th e children's v o ices during th e im plem entation o f The W orld A r o u n d Us cu rricu lu m w as fu n d a m en ta l to gaining in sigh ts into w h at th e y th ou gh t a n d cared about, a n d w h at they did during their curricular experiences in the classroom .
m atter, a s w ell a s le a rn in g a n d teach in g stra teg ie s an d r o u tin e s exp erien ced w ith in the c o n te x t o f a sc h o o l day (C o m b leth, 1 9 8 8 ). The stu d en ts' curricular exp erien ces involved their p articip ation in d elivery o f T h e W orld A r o u n d Us cu rricu lu m a n d th e ir d ir e c t involvem ent in its cu rricu lu m developm ent p ro ce sse s. In p articu lar, the stu d en ts' m volvem ent in th e curriculum d evelopm ent p r o c e sse s w as m ainly centred around im plem enting th is curriculum , a lth o u g h it also included designing or redesign in g as well a s evaluating a sp e c ts of it, in order to benefit future curriculum m aterials for children's righ ts education (G am er & Acklen, 1979; Miller & Seller, 1990).
W ith reference to ch ild ren 's participation in th e cu rricu lu m developm ent p ro cesses d uring th e case study, th e term p a rtic ip a tio n generally refers to a "process o f sharing d ecision s w hich affects o n e's life and the life o f the com m unity in which one fives. . . . Peirticipation is th e fu n d a m en ta l right o f citizenship" (Hart, 1992, p. 5). T h e ch ild ren 's p articip ation in th is cla ssro o m -b a se d c a s e s tu d y w a s especially focu sed on their rights to participate en sh rm ed in A rticles 12 and 13 o f th e CRC, w h ic h involved participatory sk ills s u c h a s fistenm g, decision-m aking, a n d freely expressing view s (UNGA, 1989). These two children's rights w ere central to th is ca se stu d y s in c e th e stu d en ts were afforded on goin g opportunities to participate actively in curricular exp erien ces, w h ic h involved th e individual emd co llec tiv e exercise o f th ese rights.
in p u t b y ex p ressin g o p in io n s , v o ic in g id e a s , co n sid erin g c h o ic e s, m aking d ecision s, an d sh a r in g d ecisio n s a b o u t m atters affecting their lives -- th e curriculum a n d its im p lem en tation , a s well a s d esig n or red esig n emd evaluation, w ith g u id a n ce from th eir teach er (Miller & S eller, 1990). It sh o u ld be noted th at th ro u g h o u t the case study, th e child p articip an ts w ere en cou raged b u t n o t obUgated to take part in m ak in g d e c isio n s a n d to e x p r e ss v ie w s a b o u t th e d e sig n in g or r ed esig n in g , im p lem en tin g , an d e v a lu a tin g a s p e c ts o f T he W o rld
Around Us curriculum. T his approach to c a s e stu d y research is b ased
on the understanding th a t Article 12 id en tifies th e right o f children to have o p in io n s heard a n d tak e part in m a k in g d e c isio n s to th e ir developmentEd capacity, a lth o u g h it d o e s n o t im ply an obUgation for children’s participation in d ecision -m ak in g.
Sim ilarly, Article 13 id en tifies th e righ t o f children to ex p ress view s freely and to o b ta in su fficien t in form ation to m ake inform ed d e c isio n s, although it d o e s n o t im ply a n ob ligation for ch ild ren to e x p re ss th eir view s. T h rou gh ou t th is cla ssro o m -b a sed c a s e stu d y , therefore, th e child p articip an ts were en cou raged b ut not obUgated to take p art in th e in d iv id u a l and collab orative curriculum a ctiv ities o ffe r e d t h e m to e x p e r ie n c e t h e ir p a r tic ip a tio n r ig h ts a n d responsibiU ties.
At the ou tset, sam pling for th is research involved th e selection o f a u n it or a c a s e to be studied, a s w e ll a s the se le c tio n o f th e key particip an ts involved in the c a se stu d y , a research s ite , a n d a time period in w h ich th e research co u ld b e u n d erta k en . In particular, purposive sam pling w e l s employed, w h ich m eant th a t certa in attributes
w ere n ecessary in order for the ca se to b e considered for stu d y (Berg, 199 5 ; Popham , 1 9 8 8 ). For exam p le, s in c e The W o rld A ro u n d Us cu r r ic u lu m m a te r ia ls were w ritten in E n g lish for Prim ary-level stu d en ts, the research er accordingly sea rch ed for a su ita b le Primary- level classroom to co n d u ct the research w here EngUsh w a s th e main language spoken a n d written.
To be m ore sp e c ific , th e c a s e s e le c te d for s t u d y w a s one cla ssro o m o f n in e te en Grade 3 ch ild ren, com p osed o f n in e girls and te n b o y s w ho w er e b etw een e ig h t a n d n in e y e a r s o f a g e . The m ulticultural group o f stu d en ts included C anadians o f A sian , European, an d First Nations heritages, for w hom th ree o f th o se ch ild ren EngUsh w a s a se co n d la n g u a g e . One fem ale s t u d e n t w ith s p e c ia l n eed s received the a ssista n c e o f a Child S u p p ort Worker.
The key p a r tic ip a n ts in th is c a s e stu d y in clu d ed th e stu d en ts, th e ir tea ch er, a n d th e re sea r ch er . W ith in th e c o n t e x t o f th is d isserta tio n , u n le s s otherw ise sta te d , th e term s c h ild p a r tic ip a n ts ,
s tu d e n ts , or ch ild ren refer to th e n in e te e n Prim ary-level individuals
te a c h e r refers to the teach er w ho participated in this classroom -based
research . While the teach er h ad not im p lem en ted The W orld A ro u n d
Us cu rricu lu m with the grou p o f Grade 3 ch ild ren prior to th e sta rt
th is ca se study, sh e had previously u sed th e curriculum with two other c la sse s o f Primary-level stu d e n ts during its p ilot run w ithin th e sa m e sch o o l district between April 1996 and J u n e 1997.
W ithin th e context o f th is d issertation , u n le s s otherw ise sta ted , th e term re se a rc h e r refers to th e individual w h o conducted interview s and observations during th is ca se stud y a s w ell a s collected, analyzed, an d interpreted the qualitative data o n th e seune, and who w rote th is d isse rta tio n . S h e also d evelop ed an d w rote The World A rou n d Us c u r r ic u lu m for ch ild ren 's rig h ts e d u c a tio n in 1995, w h ic h w a s im plem ented in the Grade 3 classroom th rou gh ou t this case study.
The c a se study s ite w a s a Grade 3 cla ssro o m at the Auscultare S c h o o l (pseudonym ) w ith in th e p u b lic s c h o o l sy stem o f B r itish C olum bia (BC). The ca se stu d y w as co n d u cted for a period o f th r e e m o n th s betw een April and J u n e 1998, w h en th e researcher co llected qualitative d ata over approxim ately 40 h ou rs d uring pre-arranged v isits to th e classroom .
iii. U n ited N ation s D ecad e for H um an R ig h ts E d u cation
The Im petus for con d u ctin g th is c a s e study, w h ich focused on c h ild r e n 's e d u c a tio n in v o lv in g th e ir p a r tic ip a tio n r ig h ts a n d resp on sib ih ties, w as the proclam ation o f th e U nited N ation s D ecade
f o r H um an R ights Education. At the forty-ninth se ssio n o f th e General
A ssem bly in 1995, th e United N ations proclaim ed th e d ecad e of 1995 to 2 0 0 4 a s a period w hen ed u cation sh o u ld focus on contributing to the im plem entation of the CRC. The objectives o f th is d ecad e include the developm ent of effective strategies for the advancem ent o f hum an rights education in sch o o ls at all grade levels (UNGA, 1995).
In recognition of this current decade for hum an rights education an d in order to ad van ce th e im p lem en ta tio n o f th e CRC w ith in Prim ary-level c la ssr o o m s, th ere w a s a n eed to id e n tify effective strategies for ed u cating stu d en ts ab out h u m an rights, in general, and children's rights, in particular (Flekkdy, 1996). In order to support a n d fa c ilita te th e a d v a n c e m e n t o f ch ild r e n 's rig h ts e d u c a tio n , therefore, sch o o ls need to provide su itab le curriculum m aterials which can help stu d e n ts u n d erstan d and ex ercise their rights, a n d prepctre them for resp on sib le citizen sh ip (AUeman & R osaen, 1991; A lston, 1992; A nderson, 1980; Hart & Prasse, 1991; Reardon, 1995).
W ithin th e co n tex t o f th is c a s e stu d y , th e term re sp o n sib le
c itiz e n s h ip refers to understanding an d exercising participation rights
and responsibiU ties, w hile acquiring an d applying peurticipatory skiUs, and attaining mored values n ecessary to contribute to th e w ell-being of
H art & P ra sse, 1991; R eardon, 1995; R iley, 1984). T h is n e e d to prep are ch ild ren for r e sp o n sib le c itiz e n s h ip is reco g n ized a t th e international, federal, provincial, and sch o o l d istrict levels.
A t th e in te rn a tio n a l level, th e CRC reco g n ize s th e n e e d to p r e p a r e c h ild r e n for r e s p o n s ib le c it iz e n r y a n d to p ro m o te d evelop m en t o f their ca p a cities in Article 29; it sta te s th a t ed u cation sh a ll b e directed to:
th e developm ent o f th e child's personaU ty, ta len ts, a n d m en ta l a n d physical abüities to their fu llest p otential,
[and] th e developm en t o f resp ect for th e n ation al v a lu e s o f th e cou n try in w hich th e ch ild is hving,
[and] th e preparation o f th e ch ild for resp on sib le Ufe in a free society, in the spirit o f understanding, p eace, tolerance, equaUty o f se x e s, and friendship am ong all p eop les, ethnic, n a tio n a l and reU gious grou p s a n d p er so n s o f In d ig en o u s origin . (UNGA,
1 9 8 9 )
A t th e national level, th e Government o f C anada in th e d ocu m en t en title d B righ ter Futures: C a n a d a 's action p la n f o r ch ildren (H ealth and W elfare Canada, 1992) ch allen ges ed u cators, caregivers, p aren ts, n a tio n a l an d com m unity organizations, an d govern m en ts to fulfill a n ob lig a tio n to h elp ch ild ren begin to realize th e full ran ge o f th eir rights in accordance with Article 42 o f th e CRC. This article stip u la tes th at th e tex t and content o f th e CRC be m ade know n to ch ild ren sin ce they c a n play a n im portant role in prom oting a n d advocating for their rights, b u t first th ey n eed to know a b o u t th e m (Canadian Heritage, H um an R ights Directorate, 1994).
countries su ch a s C anada who have ratified th e CRC have obUgations to m onitor and report periodically to th e U nited N ations C om m ittee on the Rights of the Child. The progress m ade in im plem enting the CRC w as reported by n a tio n a l, provincial, an d territorial govern m en ts in C anada's first report prepared by C anadian Heritage, H um an Rights Directorate; it w as m ade public in May 1994 w ith a secon d report due in 1 9 9 9 . The in it ia l report m ade th e r e co m m e n d a tio n th a t e d u c a tio n a l program s be further d ev elo p ed a n d im p lem en ted in C anada for p ersons o f a ll ages, w hich d issem in a te inform ation on the CRC (Canadian Heritage, Hum an Rights Directorate, 1994).
At the provincial level, preparation for citizenry is a fundam ental c o m p o n e n t o f e d u c a tio n in BC in a c c o r d a n c e w ith it s m issio n statem en t published for public schools in the School Act:
The purpose o f th e British Colum bia sc h o o l system is to enable all learners to develop their individual potential and to acquire the know ledge, s k ills and a ttitu d es n eed ed to con trib u te to a healthy, dem ocratic and plurahstic society and a prosperous and su sta in a b le econ om y. (Province o f BC, M inistiy o f E ducation,
1989, Ch. 61, p. 6)
At the sch ool d istrict level, the m issio n statem ent o f th e district w here this case stu d y w a s conducted states:
The (nam e d e le te d ) S c h o o l D istr ic t is co m m itted to ea ch s tu d e n t’s s u c c e s s in learn in g w ith in a resp on sive an d safe environm ent. (S ch ool District, 1998)
An impUcation o f th e se statem en ts for ed u cating children is that sch o o ls, in partnership w ith famiUes a n d com m un ities, are obhgated to h elp stu d e n ts a ch iev e p erson al fu lfillm en t a s they m ove tow ards resp on sib le citiz en sh ip (AUeman & R osaen , 1991; A nd erson , 1980;
Reardon, 1995). However, th e CRC avoids settin g arbitrary age lim its on the exercise o f participation rights b ecau se cap acities to exercise them , an d grow th tow ards re sp o n sib le citizen sh ip , do n o t develop autom atically a t a certain a g e, su c h a s ad u lth ood (A lston, 1992; Garbarino, 1990).
Rather, Article 5 o f the CRC notes that state parties sh a ll respect the responsibilities, rights and d u ties o f parents, or other responsible caregivers su c h a s ed u cators, w h en providing "appropriate direction and guidance in th e exercise by the ch ild of the rights recognized in th e present Convention" (UNGA, 1989). S in ce Article 5 sp ecifically ad d resses d irection and g u id a n ce for children in th e exercisin g of their rights, th e ap plication o f th is article w ould appear particularly relevant to ch ild ren 's participation rights (Alston, 1992; Garbarino, 1990).
A rticle 5 a ls o in c lu d e s th e n o tio n o f evolving c a p a c itie s o f children, w h ich im p lies th a t th e n eed for children's sp e c ia l rights stem s from th e fact that th ey are typically least capable o f assu ring their own w elfare, an d can b e n egatively affected by m istreatm en t b ecau se o f their evolving p h y sica l, m oral, spiritual, an d in tellectu al capacities and vulnerabilities (Alston, 1992; Franklin, 1995; Garbarino, 1990; M elton, 1 9 9 1 ). D ue to children's vulnerabilities, it could be asserted th at there is a need to balance rights of participation with the rig h ts o f p r o te c tio n an d p ro v isio n , b y p rovid in g c h ild r e n w ith appropriate direction and gu idan ce th at h elp s them to understand and
exercise th e ir p a rticip a tio n rig h ts (Alston, 1 9 9 2 ). T h is b alan ce is esp ecia lly sig n ifica n t th r o u g h o u t children's d ev elo p m en ta l years as th ey in cr ea sin g ly Im p lem en t th eir rights o f p a r tic ip a tio n (Alston,
1992; Franklin, 1995; Hart, 1992, 1997; Hart & P rasse, 1991).
W hen w ritin g a b o u t im p lem en ta tio n o f c h ild r e n 's righ ts o f participation, th e form er C hildren's O m budsm an o f Norway, Flekkdy (1996) stated;
The framework for children's participation s h o u ld be b ased on the evolving c a p a c itie s o f children, tem pered b y w h a t is in the b e s t s in t e r e s t s o f t h e c h ild a n d a im e d a t d e v e lo p in g participatory s k ills In th e b e st p o ssib le w ay. The practiced m ean s and the co n d itio n s n ecessary will d ep en d o n culture and trad ition s. S in c e th e future o f a d em ocratic w orld m ay w ell depend on how th e s e rights are im plem ented, every effort m u st be m ade to in cr ea se a w a ren ess, spread in form ation and sh are exp erien ces and p ractical exam ples o f p articip ation on different developm ental levels m various contexts an d a rea s, (p. 236)
An im plication o f t h is sta te m e n t for p ub lic s c h o o l sy stem s in Canada, a s weU a s ed u cators, researchers, cu rricu lu m developers, and stu d en ts, is th a t a n e e d e x is ts to develop cu rricu lu m m aterials for ch ild ren's rig h ts e d u c a tio n w h ich encourage s tu d e n t peirticipation. The in te n t o f en co u ra g in g particip ation is to h elp s tu d e n ts realize their participation rig h ts a n d resp on sib ih ties a s th e y m ove towards resp on sib le citiz en sh ip (AUem an & R osaen, 1991; A n d erson , 1980; Reardon, 1995). Within a n ed u cation al context, in ste a d o f j u s t ask in g
w h en to educate stu d en ts a b o u t participation rights, research needs to
explore how to provide appropriate direction an d g u id a n ce th at h elp s stu d en ts o f a ll ages to u n d e r sta n d and exercise th e ir participation rights, in accordance w ith their developm ental ca p a cities.
iv; ^ cp la in in g t h e R e se a r c h P urpose and R a tio n a le
In s e a r c h for a n s w e r s regard in g t h e p ro v isio n o f s u c h ap p ro p ria te d irection a n d g u id a n c e for P rim ary-level c h ild r e n in particular, the resea rch er in vited the in pu t o f Grade 3 stu d e n ts and sh e encouraged their p articip ation through out th is case stu d y. In so d oin g, th e child p a r tic ip a n ts' r e sp o n se s w ere elicited in o rd er to b en efit future cu rricu lu m m aterials for ch ild ren 's rights ed u ca tio n , w h ic h c a n h elp s t u d e n t s to u n d e r s ta n d a n d e x e r c is e th e ir participation rights, in k eep in g with their d evelopm ental cap acities.
In order to b en efit cu rricu lu m m aterials for ch ild ren's righ ts ed u ca tio n , th e cen tra l p u r p o s e of th is research w a s to explore how cu rricu la r ex p erien ces in flu e n c e d th e ch ild p articip an ts' em ergin g c o n c e p tio n s of th eir p a rticip a tio n rights emd resp o n sib ilities. T h e term ch ildren 's em erg in g co n cep tio n s refers to categories w h ich are b e in g form ed th rou gh o b ser v a tio n s and ex p er ien ce s, an d u s u a lly e x p r e sse d in w ords or p h r a s e s (K altsounis, 1987; Martorella, 1985; M elton & Limber, 1992; W elton & Malian, 1988).
T h is research p u r p o se ste m s from a n u n d er sta n d in g t h a t in o rd er for c h ild r e n to e x e r c is e th e ir p a r tic ip a tio n r ig h ts an d resp on sib ilities m eaningfully, th ey need to have a n aw areness o f th ose c o n c e p tio n s (Lickona, 1 9 9 1 ; M elton & L im ber, 1992; N od d in gs, 1988; Reardon, 1 9 9 5 ). T h u s, a b a sic aim o f Prim ary-level cu rricu la s h o u ld b e to crea te c o n d itio n s w h ich are co n d u c iv e to h e lp in g prom ote stud en ts' co n c e p tu a l developm ent. T his notion is reinforced
by McGuire (1991), an ed u cation al researcher and writer, w ho stated: [tjhe curriculum o f th e prim ary sc h o o l m u st develop children's so c ia l rela tio n sh ip s w ith p a ren ts, p eers, an d others; en gage children in a ctiv ities w h ich p rom ote exploratory exp erien ces; an d foster sk ills an d co n ce p tu a l learn ing in an orgemized an d p lan n ed way. A dd ition ally, th e cu rricu lu m m u st en cou rage children to discover the world a n d their place in it an d provide o p p o r tu n itie s for th e m to d e v e lo p s e lf- c o n f id e n c e a n d im agination in a world o f c h a n g e an d challenge. C on cep tu al developm ent is impUcitly em bedded in su ch experiences, (p. 6) Thus, it could be said th at Primary-level children need equitable o p p o r tu n itie s w h ich p ro m o te c o n c e p t u a l d ev elo p m en t, or th e conceptualization p rocess (K altsounis, 1987; Martorella, 1985; W elton & M alian, 1988), w h ereb y th ey c a n form c o n ce p tio n s o f th e ir participation rights an d re sp o n sib ilities u n d er appropriate direction and guidance of a teacher. W ithin th e con text o f this ca se study, the term equ itable opportu n ities refers to circu m stan ces w hich recognize and promote the right o f all fem ale an d m ale stu d en ts to have ju s t an d reason ab le equal a c c e ss to q u ality e d u ca tio n a l learning exp erien ces (Noddings, 1988; Reardon, 1995).
With a view to providing appropriate direction and gu id an ce for Prim ary-level stu d en ts to u nd erstan d a n d exercise their participation rights, educators need to recognize th e developm ental nature o f how children com e to exp erien ce — con cep tu alize and exercise — rights to p a rticip a te and co m m en su r a te r e s p o n s ib ih tie s , and in flu e n c e s o f curricular experiences on th at d evelopm ent (Martorella, 1985; M elton & Limber, 1992; Noddings, 1988; R eardon, 1995). In order to benefit future curriculum m aterials for children's rights education, there w as
a n eed to id en tify le a rn in g and te a c h in g stra teg ies w h ic h were appropriate to the w ays in w hich ch ild ren actually view th e ir world. Furthermore, it w as n ece ssa r y to identify w hat curriculeir exp erien ces were effective in prom oting children's em erging co n cep tio n s o f their participation rights a n d responsibilities, w hile exercising th e sa m e.
Thus, the rationale, or grounds for undertaking th is research , w as straightforward: there w as a n eed for classroom -based research th a t explored how curricular experiences, w hich include learn in g and tea ch in g strategies, in flu e n c ed ch ild ren 's em erging c o n c e p tio n s of th e ir participation rights an d resp onsibih ties. Within th e co n te x t of th is case stu d y, th e term team in g a n d teaching str a te g ie s generally refers to educational practices which ad vance students' learn ing, and m ake active participation p ossib le (Child Participants, April - Ju n e, 1998; Meirtorella, 1985; Noddings, 1988; Reardon, 1995).
In view o f th is research rationale, it w as logical to explore how curricular exp erien ces influenced th o se w ho u sed the cu rricu lu m in order to d eterm in e w h a t p arts w ere effective in p ro m o tin g their em erging co n ce p tio n s in particular. T hrough th is exp lo ra tio n , the research er a lso w a s ab le to d evise a fram ework o f in d ic a to r s for recogn izing th e ch ild p articip an ts' em ergin g co n c e p tio n s o f their participation rights a n d responsibihties; th a t is, the ways in w h ich the ch ild participants' actuaU y viewed their rights and re sp o n sib ih ties. T his exploratory resea rch is further exp lain ed through th e prim ary research question, objectives, and goals sta te d in the following section .
V. S ta tin g t h e P rim ary R esearch Q u estio n , O b jectives, a n d G oals
(a) R esea rch Q u estio n
O perationalizing th is cla ssro o m -b a se d research required a c a s e stu d y d e sig n a n d m eth o d s w h ich fa cilita ted an exp loration o f h o w curricular e x p e r ie n c e s in flu en ced t h e ch ild p articip an ts' em ergin g c o n c e p tio n s d u r in g im p le m e n ta tio n o f The W o rld A r o u n d Us curriculum . A resea rch d esign th at con cen trated on th e stu d y o f a single case, or o n e group of n in e te en Grade 3 children, w a s guided by this primary re se a rc h question:
H ow d o e s p a rticip a tio n in d e liv e r y o f a cu rriculum fo r ch ild ren 's rig h ts e d u c a tio n , an d d ire ct in v o lv e m e n t in classroom -b ased cu rricu lu m d ev elo p m en t p r o c e s s e s , in flu e n c e th e c h ild
p a rticip a n ts' em erg in g c o n c e p tio n s o f th e ir p a rticip a tio n rig h ts an d r e sp o n sib ilitie s?
(b ) R esea rch O b jectiv es and G oals
In lin e w ith t h is re se a r c h q u e s tio n , q u alitative d a ta w ere collected, a n a ly zed , a n d in terp reted o n h ow curricular exp erien ces influenced th e ch ild ren 's em erging co n ce p tio n s o f their p articip ation rig h ts a n d r e s p o n s ib ilitie s . T h e d a ta c o llec tio n , a n a ly s is , a n d interpretation p roced u res were u n d erta k en by th e research er during th e form ative s ta g e s o f th e cu rricu lu m developm ent p ro ce sse s, w h en th e C o n tex t-In p u t-P r o ce ss-P r o d u ct E v a lu a tio n M odel (Stufflebeam ,
In lig h t o f the P ro c ess E v a lu a tio n p ro ce d u re , th e resea rch
o b je c tiv e o f th is ceise stu d y weis to explore th e im plem en tation of T h e World A ro u n d Us with stu d en ts' direct Involvem ent, w h ich w as m ainly
fo c u se d o n im p lem en tin g t h e cu rricu lu m , w h ile it a lso in clu d ed d e s ig n in g or r e d e sig n in g a s w e ll a s e v a lu a tin g a s p e c ts o f th e curriculum . Related to th is research objective, th e research goal w a s inform ing ed u cation al practice o n children's em ergin g con ception s o f their p a rticip a tio n rights a n d r e sp o n sib ilitie s, in order to b en efit future c u r r ic u lu m m aterials for ch ild ren's rig h ts ed u ca tio n , to be d iscu ssed in Chapter 4.
In lig h t o f the P rod u ct E v a lu a tio n p ro ce d u re , th e resea rch
o b je c tiv e o f th is ca se stu d y w a s to explore th e im p a c t o f th is Primary-
le v e l c u r r ic u lu m for c h ild r e n 's rig h ts e d u c a t io n o n ch ild ren 's e m e r g in g c o n c e p t i o n s o f t h e ir p a r t i c i p a t i o n r ig h t s a n d resp on sib ih ties. Related to th is research ob jective, th e research goal w as b uilding ed ucational theory o n ch ild ren's em ergin g con cep tion s, to be d isc u sse d in Chapter 5.
vL D elin ea tin g T h eo retica l A ssu m p tio n s o f th is C ase S tu d y
Underlying theoretlcEil a ssu m p tio n s, a n d related u nd erstan d ings, on w hich th is c a s e s tu d y p roceed ed w ere d elin eated in ord er to becom e aware o f behefs an d to lim it b ia ses. The process o f identifying th ese a ssu m p tio n s involved keeping n o te s o n personal th o u g h ts and reflections throughout th is case stu d y, w h ich helped the researcher to becom e aware of the following assu m p tio n s.
( 1 ) In k eep in g w ith th e spirit o f th e U n ited N ations D e c a d e f o r
H um an R ights E d u ca tio n p roclaim ed by th e UNGA (1995), it w a s
a ssu m e d th a t th e s c h o o l cu rricu lu m ca n be a powerful re so u rce through w hich h u m a n rights can b e u n d ersto o d and ex ercised by stu d e n ts at all levels (E isenberg, 1 9 9 2 ; E rick son & S h u ltz, 1992; Gersch, 1996; Hart, 1992, 1997; N oddings, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1995; S co tt, 1996). C on seq u en tly, in order to b en efit future curriculum m aterials for children's rights ed u ca tio n , th e researcher sea rch ed for effective m ean s for providing ap propriate g u id an ce an d d irection to help stu d en ts u n d erstan d and exercise their participation rights and r e sp o n sib ilitie s, a s w e ll a s for r e c o g n iz in g ch ild ren 's e m er g in g conceptions of their participation rights and responsibilities.
(2 ) It w a s a s s u m e d th a t fu n d a m e n ta l to exp loring c h ild r e n 's em erging con ception s o f their participation rights and resp on sib ih ties w a s a s tu d y o f c h ild r e n 's e v o lv in g c a p a c itie s from a m o ra l developm ental perspective. A review o f theory and research literature revealed th at children's experiences o f righ ts an d resp onsibilities cem
be u n d erstood In term s o f th ree in teractive evolving ca p a cities o f moral development: reasoning, responding, prosocial acting.
The sig n ific a n c e of view in g ch ild ren 's em erging co n c e p tio n s from a m oral d e v e lo p m e n ta l p e r s p e c tiv e w a s th a t e a c h o f th e co m p o n en ts o f m o ra l d e v elo p m en t co m e in to p lay a s ch ild ren experience -- co n ce p tu a lize a n d ex e rc ise -- their m oral rights an d resp o n sib ilities (A llem an & R o sa en , 1991; D am on, 1988; Garrod, 1993; Hersh, Miller, & Fielding, 1980; Lickona, 1991; S cott, 1987). Thus, as a b asis for th is exploratory research, the child participants' em erging c o n c e p tio n s were view ed from a framework involving th e interactive cap acities o f moral developm ent.
In a r e la te d m a n n er, t h e r e se a r c h e r p r o c e e d e d o n th e u n d e r sta n d in g t h a t w h ile t h e c o n c e p tu a liz a tio n p r o c e s s is predom inantly a cognitive activity, it can be se en a s an interactive p rocess th a t s p a n s cogn itive, affective, and behavioural ca p a citie s (K altsounis, 1987; M artorella, 19 8 5 ; W elton & M alian, 1988). In keeping w ith th is u n d er sta n d in g o f th e con cep tu alization p rocess, influences on the th ree capacities were taken into consideration w hen identifying strategies w hich prom ote th e child participants' evolving c a p a c itie s for c o n c e p t u a liz in g th e ir p a r tic ip a tio n r ig h ts a n d responsibihties, w hile exercising th e sam e.
(3 ) It w as a ssu m ed that curricular experiences influence children's conceptualization p ro ce ss in gen eral (G ersch, 1996; Lickona, 1991; Martorella, 1985; N oddings, 1988; Reardon, 1995; S cott, 1996), and
could in fluence th eir em erging c o n ce p tio n s o f participation rights a n d resp on sib ih ties. C onseq uently, th e resea rch er endeavoured to m ake con n ection s b etw een curricular exp erien ces, w ith th e stu d en ts' d irect involvem ent in th e curriculum d evelop m en t p rocesses, an d ch ild ren 's em erging co n cep tio n s o f their participation rights an d re sp o n sib ih ties throughout th is c a s e study.
In a r e la te d m a n n er , t h e r e s e a r c h e r p r o c e e d e d o n t h e understanding th a t Prim ary-level ch ild ren can begin to recdize that th e exercise o f p a rticip a tio n rights c a n a ls o carry so m e resp on sib ih ty, su ch a s a so cia l resp onsibih ty to e n su r e th a t the rights o f others are respected. While the CRC as an in tern ational covenant addresses ad u lt and sta te resp o n sib ih ties to children, th is research proceeded o n th e assu m ption th at children sh ou ld have a n aw areness o f resp onsibih ties (Anderson, 1980; Hart & Prasse, 1991; Lickona, 1991; Nelm s, 1987; Reardon, 1995). In consequence, th em es an d issu e s surrounding b oth ch ild ren 's p a rticip a tio n rights a n d r e sp o n sib ih tie s w ere a d d r e sse d w ithin The W orld A ro u n d Us cu rricu lu m , an d explored d u rin g t h is case study. This approach to ed u cation a n d research sh ou ld n ot im ply th at one's in h eren t rights are co n tin g en t u p on one's resp o n sib ih ties ; rather, children h ave in h eren t rights b y virtu e o f b e in g m em bers o f the hum an family, an d th ese h u m an righ ts are not som eth in g earned through fulfillm ent o f responsibihty (Kohler, 1979; UNGA, 1989).
(4 ) It w as a ssu m e d th a t fundam ental to developing an aw aren ess o f h o w c u r r ic u la r e x p e r ie n c e s in f l u e n c e d c h ild r e n 's em e r g in g
c o n c e p tio n s o f th eir p a rtic ip a tio n rights a n d r e sp o n sib ilitie s w a s listen in g to the case s tu d y stu d en ts' voices by hearing, reading, and ob servin g, w h ile a s k in g w h a t le s s o n s m ay be gain ed from th eir r e sp o n se s (Cox, 1991; C u llin a n , 1993; D avie. 1993; E r ic k so n & S hu ltz, 1992; Garbarino & S to tt, 1989; G ersch, 1996; Paley, 1986; Rodham C lin ton , 1 9 9 5 ). T he th ree d a ta c o lle c tio n m e th o d s o f in terview s, narratives, a n d observations a s s is te d th e re sea rch er in h earin g, read in g, a n d o b se r v in g th e c h ild p a r tic ip a n ts, a n d in an sw erin g th e resea rch q u e stio n , w hich exp lored how cu rricu lar exp erien ces influenced ch ild re n 's em erging con cep tion s.
In a related m an n er, it w as a ssu m ed th a t th e se m eth o d s for collectin g the q u alitative d a ta resp ected the varian ces in th e ch ild participants' abiUties to ex p ress their thou ghts an d feehngs in spoken and w ritten words, a s w ell a s through their action s. Furtherm ore, it was a ssu m e d that the ch ild ren were sincere in their re sp o n se s to the interview q u estion s an d cu rricu lu m activities. It w as recognized th at the interview data cou ld b e sh ap ed by the ch ild participants' abilities to u n d e r sta n d q u e stio n s a n d to a rticu late r e sp o n se s (Cox, 1991 ; C ullinan, 1993; G arbarino & S to tt, 1989; G ersch, 1996; R odham Clinton, 1996; Strother, 1987). W ithin the con text o f this c a s e study, the resea rch er-ch ild in te rv ie w s allow ed a n a c c e s s to th e p erso n a l world o f th e child p a r tic ip a n ts through o p en -e n d ed q u e s tio n s , in conjunction w ith ob servational m easures an d children's w ritings, to be further d isc u sse d in C hapter 3.
( 5 ) It w as a ssu m ed th a t the basic u n it o f anailysis for th is case stud y c o n siste d o f d escrip tive p h rases excerp ted from tran scrip tion s and n o te s g a th e r e d th r o u g h th e th r e e d a ta co lle c tio n m e th o d s of in terv iew s, n a r r a tiv e s, a n d observations. D esc rip tiv e d a ta w ere collected an d collated in to a phrase d a ta b a se con stru cted through a m ulti-step process o f inductive con ten t an alysis. This process enabled th e researcher to m ove through th e co llectio n of qualitative d ata in order to find p attern s a n d m eaning in th e information; su bseq uently, th e r e sea r ch er p r o c e e d e d from c lu s t e r in g th e ex c er p ts a ro u n d e m e r g e n t t h e m e s , th r o u g h d e v e lo p in g " con cep tu al categories" (Merriam, 1988, p. 133), and then to d evisin g a w holistic framework o f P articipatory In d ica to rs for reco g n izin g th e child p articip an ts' em erging co n cep tio n s, to be further d isc u sse d in Chapter 5.
vü. O rgan ization o f th e D isserta tio n
In this se c tio n , the organization o f th e four rem ainin g chapters o f this d issertation is summarized:
C h a p ter 2 : L iteratu re R eview , is d ev o ted to p ro v id in g a theoretical fram ew ork for exp loring children's em erging co n cep tio n s o f their participation rights an d resp on sib ih ties, w ithin th e co n tex t of this ca se study; it is divided into three parts:
Part 1, CRC an d Children's Participation Rights, is d evoted to review ing a b od y o f theory and resea rch literature th a t a d d r esse s ch ild ren 's r ig h ts sta te d in th e CRC in gen eral, an d ch ild re n 's p a r tic ip a tio n r ig h t s a n d r e s p o n s ib ilit ie s in p a r tic u la r , w ith im phcations for th is case study.
Part 11, C hildren's Participation R ights and Moral D evelopm ent, is devoted to review ing a body o f theory and research literature that a d d r e s s e s th e th r e e in te r a c tiv e c a p a c itie s o f c h ild r e n 's moral developm ent, w ith im plications for th is ca se study.
Part 111, Children's Participation R ights and R esearch , is devoted to review ing a body o f theory and research Uterature th a t ad d resses c h ild r e n 's e x p e r ie n c e s o f p a r tic ip a tio n rig h ts d u r in g re se a r c h con d ucted both in an d ou t o f sch ool, w ith im plications for th is case study.
C hapter 3 : M ethodology, is devoted to d isc u ssin g th e research d esign an d m eth o d s em ployed for op eration alizin g th is cla ssro o m - based case study; it is divided into two parts:
Part I, R esearch D esign , is devoted to ad d ressin g th e ca se study design em ployed in th is research o n children's em ergin g con ception s of their participation rights a n d responsibilities.
Pent II, M ethods for C ollecting the QuaUtative D ata, is devoted to ad dressing th e d ata collection m eth o d s -- in terview s, narratives, and observations — em ployed in th is stu d y for triangulation o f m ethods.
C h a p ter 4 : Inform ing E d u c a tio n a l P ra c tic e, is d evoted to analyzing a n d interpreting th e findings, w hich w ere co llected during the cu rricu lu m im plem en tation via the Process E valuation procedure; it is divided in to two parts:
Part I, D isc u ssin g the P rocess Evaluation F indings, is devoted to d etailed a n alyses o f the fin d in gs, in w hich five g u id in g q u estio n s are in d u ctively a n a ly ze d , w ith im p lic a tio n s for in fo r m in g e d u ca tio n a l p ractice.
In Part II, Informing E d u cation al Practice, Interpretations of the P rocess E valu ation fin d in gs are reported on id en tifyin g th e learning and te a c h in g str a te g ie s, w h ic h effectively p rom oted th e children's em erging co n cep tio n s of their participation rights a n d responsibilities within th e co n tex t o f this case stu d y.
C hap ter 5: Building Educationsil Theory, is devoted to analyzing
and in terp retin g th e fin d in gs, w h ich were c o lle c te d on curriculum im pact via th e Product E v a lu a tio n procedure; it is divided into two parts:
d eta iled analyses o f th e fin d in gs, in w h ich th e participatory rights exp ressed in th e CRC gu ide the d is c u s s io n s o n recognizing th e child p articip an ts' em ergin g c o n c e p tio n s, w ith im phcations for b u ild in g educational theory.
In Part II, B u ild in g E d u cation al Theory, in terpretations o f the Product Evaluation findings are reported on devising the firamework of in d ic a to r s for r e c o g n iz in g t h e c h ild p a r tic ip a n ts ' e m e r g in g co n ce p tio n s o f th eir p articip ation righ ts an d resp on sib ilities. The final chapter clo ses w ith a sum m ary o f key contributions o f th is case stu d y , as w ell a s its U m itatlons, w h ich serve a s a springboard for recom m end ations o f further resea rch w ith in the field o f C hildren's R ights Studies.
C hapter Sum m ary
T his chapter provided an in trodu ction to the classroom -b ased case study, w hich recognized th e p resen t United N ation s D ecade f o r
Human Rights E ducation of 19 9 5 to 2 0 0 4 . In support o f th is decade
and in view o f the rights amd principles o f the CRC, ed u ca to rs need to provide appropriate direction an d gu idan ce for children to understand and exercise their participation rights an d responsibilities, co n sisten t w ith their developm ental cap acities.
Through th is exploratory c a s e study, the researcher searched for effective m ean s for providing appropriate direction a n d gu idan ce to s t u d e n t s , a s w e ll a s for r e c o g n iz in g th e c h ild r e n 's em ergin g co n c e p tio n s o f th eir p a r tic ip a tio n rig h ts and r e s p o n s ib ilitie s . A cornerstone o f th is research w a s U stening to th e ch ild ren 's voices during the im p lem en tation o f th e cu rricu lu m for ch ild ren 's rights ed u ca tio n en titled The W orld A ro u n d Us (Murray, 1 9 9 5 ). The researcher Ustened to th e child participants while asking w h at lesson s m ay be gained from their voices ab ou t educational practice and theory on children's em erging co n cep tio n s, a s docum ented in th e remainder of th is dissertation.
CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
P rovid in g a T h e o r e tic a l Fram ew ork
C h ap ter A b stract
T h is c h a p te r is d ev o ted to a review o f theory a n d research liter a tu re th a t p rovid es a t h e o r e t ic a l fram ew ork for e x p lo r in g ch ild ren 's em ergin g c o n c e p tio n s o f th e ir particip ation rig h ts and responsibilities, w ithin the c o n te x t o f th is ca se study. In w h at follows, three areas o f literature relatin g to participation rights are reviewed. Accordingly, th is review o f literature is divided into three parts.
In Part I, CRC and C hildren 's Participation Rights, a body of theory and research literature is review ed th a t ad d resses children's rights recognized in the CRC, in general, and d iscu sses participation rights and responsibilities in particular, w ith im plications for th is case study. This part o f the chapter is divided into four sections a s outlined here. In the first sectio n , b ack grou n d inform ation is review ed that provides an overview of the CRC. In th e secon d section. A rticles 1 to 5 of the CRC are reviewed, w ith im p lication s for this ca se stu d y . In th e third se c tio n , th e s e t o f s i x a rtic les on children's participation rights in the CRC is reviewed, w ith im ph cation s for this ca se stu d y. In th e fourth se c tio n , an oth er s e v e n a r tic le s w h ich generally support children's participation in the CRC are reviewed, with im phcations for this case study.
In P a r t II, C h ild r e n 's P a r tic ip a tio n R ights a n d Moral D evelopm ent, a body o f th eory a n d research literature is reviewed, w h ic h a d d r e s s e d t h e m o r a l d e v e lo p m e n t o f c h ild r e n , w ith im phcations for th is c a s e stu d y . T his part o f th e chapter is divided into two se c tio n s a s o u tlin e d here. In the first section, theory and research literatu re o n c h ild r e n 's m oral developm en t is review ed, w hich revealed that ch ild ren 's exp erien ces o f participation rights and r e sp o n sib ilitie s c a n be u n d e r sto o d in term s o f three in tera ctiv e evolving ca p a citie s o f m oral d evelop m en t. In the secon d se c tio n , theory a n d research liter a tu re is review ed, w hich d elin ea ted th e th eoretical differences in th e three ca p a cities, w ith im ph cation s for this case study.
In Part 111, Children's Participation Rights and Research, a body o f th eo ry a n d re se a r c h liter a tu re is review ed, w hich co n ce rn ed children's exp erien ces o f p articip ation rights during research, w ith im phcations for th is c a s e stu d y. T his part o f th e chapter is divided into two se ctio n s a s o u tlin e d here. In the first section, hterature on r e se a r c h s t u d ie s is r e v ie w e d , w h ic h c o n c e r n e d c h ild r e n 's p a r tic ip a tio n rig h ts in le g a l a n d p s y c h o lo g ic a l c o n te x ts , w ith im ph cation s for th is c a se stu d y . In th e secon d section, hterature on ch ild re n 's in v o lv em en t in curricular r e se a r c h is review ed, w ith im phcations for this c a se stu d y. Key p oin ts o f th is chapter are briefly sum m arized in the C hapter Summeuy.
