PUPIL VOICE TOOLKIT

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The basis for pupil participation is found in article 12 of the United Nations

Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC: UNICEF UK, 1990). It sets out

the rights of children and young people to express an opinion and to have that

opinion taken into account on any matter that affects them:

“Every child has the right to say what they think in all matters affecting them, and

to have their views taken seriously”

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Version to be used between September 2018 - June 2019

PUPIL VOICE TOOLKIT

This document provides illustrative examples of how teachers can engage with the views of students about issues that affect their

learning during lessons. These activities, which were developed in the five schools of the project countries, are specifically tailored

for use in primary schools. With relevant modifications, some of the activities could be used in other contexts, such as secondary

schools and early years settings.

The activities described can be used in two ways:

a. Teachers can use them with the whole class to facilitate dialogues with their students.

b. In some cases, student researchers might use them after they receive training (please, see Training Student Researchers

Guidance Manual) to gather the views of their classmates, which they will then analyse.

The key questions when using all of these activities are:

How do students view learning and teaching in their school?

How can their ideas be used to make lessons more inclusive?

In addition to the activities included here, teachers are encouraged to develop other ways of engaging with the views of their children.

Schools can also use a range of other approaches that we developed for an earlier project that is linked to this new one. These

activities can be found on the website https://eustudentsvoices.wordpress.com, in five languages (English, Spanish, Portuguese,

French and German), under ‘Publications’ – see The Guide (Section 3: Students’ Voices Toolkit).

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Activity 1

The frozen picture

Developed in Austria

Age / Educational stage Suitable for all ages

Length 20-30 minutes

Purpose

To reflect and talk about some aspect of teaching and learning (The approach was used as part of a social learning lesson about “friendship”. However, it can be adapted for use with other lesson topics)

Description of the activity.

The teacher writes the topic on the board (for example, “friendship”). The students then get into groups of 3-4 and think about a scene that comes to their mind when hearing the word “friendship”. After discussion, each group demonstrates their idea, with or without speaking. After each performance, the audience (their classmates) say what they think they saw, and then the performers describe what their idea was. After the activity, the children should be asked about how they liked working in this way; e.g. Did it help you to take part? Did you learn anything new? How might we improve this way of working in our class?

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Adaptations Time Resources

The “word in question” will change depending on the age of the pupils For young people you can, for example, only do movements or a “frozen picture” (i.e. children stay like a statue and show their idea - see photos below) Older students can also include a dialogue, a speech, facts they already know, etc.

20-30 minutes

A board/ a flipchart/ a laptop to write down the word

Outcomes Where the class has not done anything like this before, it will probably need some time before the students get used to performing. If it´s not working at the beginning, don´t worry. The children have to get used to performing, to be creative and to show their thoughts through acting. This activity can be used as the starting point for a topic, to see how the students relate to it. It can also be used at the end of a topic, to see what the children have earned and what is important for them.

Teacher comment: “I did it in my class for the topic “friendship” in social learning. After finishing this project, I invited all children to think of all the things we had discussed about and to show us the most important facts about friendship for them.” Here are some photographs that illustrate what happened:

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…loving each other

FRIENDSHIP IS….

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r ….being nice to each other

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…..staying together, no matter what happens

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…exploring new things together

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….sharing things

…helping each other

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Activity 2 Your dream school

Developed in Austria

Age / Educational stage Suitable for all ages, although for some children the writing parts could be left out

Length About 2 lessons

Purpose

To reflect and talk about a certain topic; to think about own dislikes and likes; to state an opinion of a subject; and the learn that others may have other dreams or opinions, to learn to make compromises in groups. It can be used as part of a social learning lesson

Description of the activity.

The teacher writes the topic on the board (in this example, “My dream school”). There is then an initial discussion groups in the class: “What is school for?”, “Why do children go to school?” In small groups, the children then discuss their ideas of how a dream school would be. After stating some initial ideas, the children should be reminded again, that a school is there for them to learn. So, they should keep this in mind as they develop their thoughts about a dream school.

Every child now gets time to think alone of his/her dream school: how it should look, what activities you can do there, where you can learn. They then write their ideas down (in some cases, individual words or drawings might be appropriate)

In couples or in groups of up to four people, they discuss their ideas together. They then write a text, or some words, about their dream school, which builds on all of their suggestions. If they are used to working in groups, a group of four is appropriate. However, if they are not so used to it, it might be wise to start with groups of two for this kind of activity.

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After writing, or also possibly, in parallel to the writing process, the children could draw their dream school (see pictures below).

Presentation: Each group presents their dream school to the others.

Questions to each group: You thing it would be possible to learn a lot in your dream school? If yes, why? How did the group work go? Was something difficult? Are you ok with the result of your dream school?

After the activity, the children should be asked about how they liked working in this way; e.g. Did it help you to take part? Did you learn anything new? How might we improve this way of working in our class?

Adaptations Necessary time Resources

For younger pupils, the writing part can be left out. The same kind of lesson can be done with other topics (for example, “My/Our dream weekend”, “My/our dream holiday”, “My/Our perfect school day”,

About 2 lessons

Big sheets of paper Coloured pens or crayons

Outcomes The pupils learn to cooperate and work together with others on a certain topic. They learn how to express what they think about the topic and how to make compromises. It is also a good method to improve the social climate in the class. Note: If the class has never done group work like this before, it could be a little bit difficult for them to find a solution, where both or all four of them are happy with. However, after doing group work like this more often it gets easier for the pupils.

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Activity 3 The big word factory

Developed in Austria

Age / Educational stage 5 - 12

Length At least one lesson

Purpose

To encourage children to think about the words they use.

Description

Here a teacher describes the activity and how it was used with the particular class: “I started by explaining to the children that we love to work with picture books. The name of this book in German is "Die große Wörterfabrik". It is originally in French but I think it´s translated in every language. The book explains how, in a “peculiar land” where people must “buy and swallow the words they want to speak,” a poor boy named Paul cannot afford to tell a girl named Marie that he loves her. Paul is up against a boy whose family’s wealth affords him the ability to use as many words as he likes. In the end, Paul’s mere three words—cherry, dust and chair—are enough to make Marie notice. The sweet and simple story, based on the traditional book Phileas is Fortune (2010), is greatly enhanced by elegant animation and interaction. Deep reds highlight Marie and Paul’s story against the grey gloom of an industrial word factory that towers over their town. Words are cannily deployed as hidden extras. As the story opens, categories of words for sale, including “Obsolete Words” (dungarees, brume) and “Funny Words” (gewgaw, drizzle and of course, gobsmacked), float down as little slips of paper. We started the lesson, without the book, with a question: Can you imagine a land where you need to buy words? Would you like to live there?

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After that we presented the book to the pupils. A nice detail in the book is that swear words are in the garbage. Nobody wants to be someone who needs to look into the garbage for something useful. The important highlight of the book is that a poor boy has only three words: chair, cherry and dust. With these three words, he tries to tell his girlfriend that he loves her. You can imagine that this is difficult.” The final class discussion starts with the questions: What three words would you chose for your life? Which words do you think are the most important? The children then work in groups, discussing which words are really helpful - like thanks, please, help, stop, etc After the activity, the children should be asked about how they liked working in this way; e.g. Did it help you to take part? Did you learn anything new? How might we improve this way of working in our class?

Adaptations Necessary time for its realisation Resources

It could involve painting a picture

At least one lesson

The book, “ The word factory”

Outcomes The teacher reflected: ‘It was amazing how disciplined the pupils were and how serious they took this exercise.’ ‘Isn´t it great that we can say what we want – freedom of speech – still we can hurt people with words. Do we always have to say what comes to our mind? First think than talk.’

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Activity 4 Voting

Developed in Denmark

Age / Educational stage Suitable for all ages

Length One lesson

Purpose

To get students to vote for their preferred learning activity and form of classroom organization

Description of the activity

The teachers present the activity with pictures showing different forms of classroom organisation and various approaches to children’s involvement in learning. Each student has a post-it-note and places it on a picture of their own choice – see photograph below. They vote for their preferred classroom organization: tables in groups, table 2 and 2, tables in a horseshoe, or table in rows. They then vote for how to learn best: Teacher talking, group work, working in pairs, or workshops. The students are then given cards with statements related to learning (e.g. ‘Learning should be fun’, ‘I learn best by doing’, ‘Pupils should choose what they want to learn’). The students then work in groups to choose a number of cards that they feel are most important and put them in a diamond shape (see pictures below). At the top of the diamond they are asked to place the one they think is most important and at the bottom the one they feel is least important. After the activity they talk about any advice they would give to their teachers. After the activity, the children should be asked about how they liked working in this way; e.g. Did it help you to take part? Did you learn anything new? How might we improve this way of working in our class?

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Adaptations Necessary time for its realisation Resources

The pictures could be different and the choices could be more complicated if the students were older. No adaptions for younger students.

15 – 30 minutes Post-it-notes, pictures of classroom organization and learning activities, space on the wall, teachers to support

Outcomes

The teachers commented: ‘Our students are used to saying their opinion and do different kind of learning activity and classroom organization. We were surprised by the result – the students didn’t vote for workshops as we thought they would. The students voted for tables in pair for classroom organization and work in pairs.’

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You learn best, when you have to cooperate

2 and 2, or sometimes more peoples.

You learn best, when we got feature week

like Indian theme

You learn best, when you work alone with a

assignment

You learn best, when you have to choose

between more assignments, like in the

ugeskema

You learn best, when the teacher speak and

you are quiet and listening

You learn best, when you are active e.g.

when you playing a game, or jumping words

or numbers in the school yard

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Activity 5 My ideal classroom

Developed in Portugal

Age / Educational stage 6 to 8 years olds / 1st and 2nd school grades

Length The activity can be developed over several days.

Purpose

To learn how to listen to students' opinions about the organization of the classroom.

Description of the activity

The activity involved the following steps:

1. The students drew a picture individually as they how would like their classroom to be. (see pictures below).

2. They then shared their proposals with rest of the class.

3. One class selected one of the proposals by voting. The other two classes tried out all the proposals presented, considering only the layout/organization of the desks.

4. At the end of the process, the students selected the option that they thought was most functional.

After the activity, the children should be asked about how they liked working in this way; e.g. Did it help you to take part? Did you learn anything new? How might we improve this way of working in our class?

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Adaptations Necessary time for its realisation Resources

If students of a higher age range (9/10 years) would develop the activity, classroom models could be made from the drawings.

The activity was developed over several days.

A3 sheet of paper and coloured pencils.

Learning Outcomes

The activity encourages students to express their opinion about classrooms organization and to consider the opinions of their classmates.

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Activity 6 What helps me to learn?

Developed in Portugal

Age / Educational stage 6/8 years/1st and 2nd grades

Length One lesson

Purpose

To learn students' opinions about how they prefer to work, how they learn best and what hinders them from learning.

Description of the activity

The activity involved the following steps:

1. The research students prepared questions to be asked in the classes, together with the trio of teachers; 2. Each pair of research students conducted the investigation in a class other than his/her own, using observations and group discussions; 3. The results were analyzed and shared with the class.

After the activity, the children should be asked about how they liked working in this way; e.g. Did it help you to take part? Did you learn anything new? How might we improve this way of working in our class?

Adaptations Necessary time for its realisation Resources

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A questionnaire might also be used to get pupil views

50 minutes

Registration sheets for research students.

Outcomes

Better understanding of the views of pupils about teaching and learning

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Activity 7 The peacemakers

Developed in Spain

Age / Educational stage 3-12 / Pre-primary and Primary

Length In this particular school it is a permanent activity every year. Aspects of the approach could be adapted for use in other schools.

Purpose

- To solve conflict

- To determine school rules, students´ rights and duties

- To explore how pupils can participate in school decision making

Description

The peacemakers are representatives of the students, elected by their class. Peacemakers act in case of conflict between equals, collect from their classmates proposals for improvement or raise complaints of situations that should be resolved to the teachers or principal of the school Each class designates one or two peacemakers for a period of between one and three months (the children decide), in rotating shifts so that all children have the opportunity to take on this role. When a problem arises, they try to solve it by listening to those involved and reach agreements, always through dialogue. Peacemakers write in their diaries the important things they want to talk about with the group, teachers or peacemakers´ council. Once a month there is a meeting of all peacemakers with the school principal to discuss the interventions or conflicts that have had to be resolved in that period and collect the proposals or complaints raised by classmates to improve the school. They also present activities for the students, propose changes, analyze general problems or evaluate previous activities and the progress of the agreements taken in the past meetings. The peacemakers inform their classmates about the topics discussed in the meeting.

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The school director facilitates the minutes of the meeting so that the commitments and agreements taken until the following month are visible to all classes.

Adaptations Necessary time for its realisation Resources

Pupil representatives could be appointed to a school council that debates how teaching and learning within the school could be made more inclusive. Part of their role would be to take the views of their classmates.

In this particular school, peacemakers meet once a month for an hour

. Peacemaker´s card

. Reflective vests

. The talking stone (or a different object) / in preschool a chair with a mouth and a chair with an ear . Peacemaker´s diary . Tranquillity/ anger corners . Minutes of the monthly meetings

Outcomes Pupils commented: We can solve the problems by ourselves, just listening and talking We are not sneaks, we protect those who can suffer abuses, we can help our friends We speak with confidence with the teachers to present our ideas Our opinions and suggestions are important for the school .

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They solve conflicts Make proposals and analyse the activities Minutes and to do list Teachers, families and children: New games

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Activity 8 Statement voting

Developed in England

Age / Educational stage This was completed with ages 7-11 but would also be appropriate in younger year groups

Length Within one lesson

Main Objective/ Learning Objectives

To find out some ways that children in the class would most like to learn

Description of the activity

Before the lesson, student researchers discuss and think of a range of ideas of how to learn e.g. group work, pair work, independent, silence. These can then be written as statements on to large sheets of paper and shared with their classmates in the lesson. The children are then given time to chat to their friends and suggest extra ideas to be added to blank sheets of paper which can then also be displayed in the room. Some of the ideas raised in the year 5 class were: “to be allowed to have your own choice”, “working outside”, “allowed to have extra breaks”, “allowed to have snacks on each table”, “being able to sit with whichever partner you want”. All children then use stickers or cubes to vote for their favourite options. They each have 5 cubes and can use them to vote as they wish, e.g. 1 cube for 5 different ideas, 2 on one and 3 on another or 5 cubes on 1 idea if they really loved that particular idea. Finally, the top three ideas can be used to plan a lesson that will engage all learners.

Adaptations Necessary time for its realisation Resources

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Photos of the activities could be provided to help children imagine the different learning approaches, e.g. children working together

20-30 minutes

Stickers or cubes, large sheets of paper, pens, some pre-written statements

Outcomes Increased awareness of pupils’ preferences in relation to teaching and learning.