The aim of this research was to develop insight into the role of school for children who had experienced DA and relocated school for this reason. The research sought to gather the views of children and SPs in order to better understand this phenomenon. The researcher brought her own knowledge, perspective and characteristics to the research. She had spent several years working closely with children and their mothers following relocation because of DA. The researcher believed this held her in good stead and enabled her to respond in what she felt to be a sensitive and informed manner when meeting with children. When collecting data, the researcher drew on approaches such as: reflective listening, summarising and clarifying children’s perspectives to show empathy and support them in feeling heard. This was also a way to ‘check out’ their points of view (e.g. ‘I think what you are saying is...does that sound
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right or perhaps not?’). The researcher sought to create a warm climate where participants felt safe and motivated to contribute to the research. She attempted to do this by integrating general talk outside of the topic area, by bringing
humour into sessions and by following the children’s leads (e.g. engaging in play with the children during the data collection sessions when they self-
withdrew from the topic area and began to play). These approaches seemed to be well received by participants.
Certain adjustments occurred during the research process. For instance, one child sought to clarify more than once, whether her class teacher would know what had been disclosed during the data collection session. During that session and beyond, the researcher reiterated she would not be contacting or sharing information with staff from any of the children’s schools.
When collecting data the researcher was aware of the arrangement of the room where she met children. On the one hand the data collection sessions, by necessity took place in the refuge environment and it is unclear what the children’s general feelings about the data collection space was. It is possible this made them feel more secure with data collection because they were familiar with the space. More generally the refuge may have been
symbolic of upheaval. However, the researcher attempted to put the children at ease and reduce power imbalances by sitting together with them on the carpet or at a table rather than sitting on a chair while the children sat on the floor. The researcher also considered how much information she wished to disclose. She was open during conversations and shared her point of view, albeit mindfully, without disclosing what she felt were more personal details about herself. The
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researcher also used the children’s questions as an opportunity to find out more about their views on matters (e.g. when a child asked whether the researcher had been abroad the researcher responded and asked about their experiences abroad). Outside of data collection room, the children were able to observe the positive relationship between the researcher and the DA housing project
workers. The researcher felt this supported the building of trust between
participants and the researcher, since the participants also shared relationships with the project workers.
Unique contributions have arisen from this research. It offers a new approach for examining children’s experiences of school and school relocation when they have encountered DA. Theoretically, the researcher examined this area of research using Bronfenbrenner’s PPCT model. Given the multi-layered processes and complex interactions which take place across the child’s eco system when they have experienced DA and relocated for this reason, the four tenets “process-person-context-time” provided a comprehensive framework to consider this non-normative childhood experience. Secondly, the researcher proposed that when children’s experiences were considered within
Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological framework, the prioritisation of their capacity to be resilient resulted in a focus on their resources and strengths. By thinking about children’s resilience, it was possible to unpack how SPs and the school context could aid children’s development and recovery from DA. Thirdly,
positioning this discussion within debates on theories of childhood and the “new paradigm of childhood” led to childhood being perceived as a social
construction, which is as distinct and complete as is adulthood, while children were recognised as important and influential in constructing and determining
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their own lives and futures and the lives of those around them (James & Prout, 1990; 2015; Prout, 2005). This research has shown how these three
complimentary theories can be used together as a multi-faceted approach to examine the role of school for children who have relocated because of DA. Bioecological theory also provided a robust framework to examine the
experiences of SPs supporting children who have experienced DA. The findings suggest how each tenet of the model is relevant to how children are supported by professionals in the school context.
This research has also made a contribution to the development of research methodologies. A strength of the research is that it used a multi- method multi-informant approach. The data was collected from children (using visual, verbal and vignette data), SPs working full time across five mainstream primary schools and EPs based at an EPS. This enabled triangulation of roles, perspectives and contexts in relation to DA. To the researcher’s knowledge, this is the first example of qualitative research to involve both SPs and children which examines the role of school and school relocation for children who have experienced DA.
Time was taken to develop robust research materials grounded in previous literature and theory to produce rich detailed findings (Barter &
Reynold; 2000; Bronfenbrenner & Ceci, 1994; Hall, 2010; MacDonald & O’Hara 1998; O’Dell et al., 2012; Stafford et al., 2008). The three-layer approach used to triangulate children’s views fits with the perception of children as competent and accomplished research respondents (James & Prout, 1990). As such, the theoretical approach and methodologies used in this research offer new
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empirical evidence collated from children and professionals focusing on relocation and movement from schools because of DA.