AP/CCY 3999 6.00

Research with Children and Young People

This course focuses on child-centered research approaches to research design, knowledge production (gathering and analyzing data), and disseminating knowledge. The course urges students to acknowledge the value commitments that inform research methods and the research process. Students will learn how research methods inform research outcomes. Some of the key questions that will be addressed in this course include: what counts as a child-centered research method? Is there a child-centered type of analysis and research? This course will examine how theories and politics influence the research questions we ask, the materials we use, and how we define our relationships with study participants. This course examines the ethical guidelines that inform research with children. This course is centered on the theoretical underpinning that children are not simply objects of study but active co-constructors of knowledge. Students will focus on both theoretical and practical research skills. Students will explore both conventional and creative research methodologies that help understand the unique positionalities of children and youth in society.