Within social science research the complex nature of relationship-making and 'friendship as method' has gained enthusiasm. However, there is still a significant lack of research on 'friendship as method' with children and young people in participatory studies. Drawing on empirical case studies, we ask: how does 'friendship as method' work in…

In this article, the authors share how a third-grade teacher supported students in crafting and researching their own inquiry questions using a process known as the Question Formulation Technique to scaffold students' development of supporting questions. Hughes and Heckart provide the reader with suggestions and resources for supporting…

The increasing use of digital devices by young children, has led to calls for earlier teaching for information literacy. However, some research indicates reluctance to do this, due to perceived limitations of young children and notions about what is and is not 'appropriate' for them learn. This study examines this proposition, through analysis of…

The use of multi-sensory data collection tools with children in special and inclusive education is increasing in popularity. Many studies in this area have highlighted the potential for photography, drawings and other visual data collection methods to capture children's perspectives on inclusive practice. However, these tools are likely to be less…

In this study, it was investigated whether the Research Skills Teaching Program (RSTP) prepared for elementary school 4th grade students was effective in imparting the sub-skills required for conducting the research process to students. To this end, pretest-posttest control group design; one of the quasi-experimental designs; was employed. The…

A third-grade educator and university researcher collaborated to develop an after-school virtual book club curriculum for students during the pandemic. Third-grade students were encouraged to explore social justice issues prevalent in their community first by reading relevant children's books, doing research, and collaborating to develop potential…

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of practice-based STEM instruction on the development of younger students' research abilities and the improvement of their analytical skills. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used in this study. There were 72 participants in the 4th grade from the elementary school "Zhas…

In a systematic scoping review, we analyzed empirical and conceptual writings on youth participatory action research (YPAR) in schools. YPAR has emerged as an empowering and youth-centered approach to group work whereby school counselors and students collaborate on researching, creating, and sharing projects about social ills impacting their…

Topics associated with the chemical sciences form a significant part of the curriculum in science at the primary school level in the U.K. In this methodology paper, we demonstrate how a wide range of research articles associated with the chemical sciences can be disseminated to an elementary school audience and how children can carry out…

In this manuscript, the authors discuss a seven-day research project that occurred within the Birmingham metropolitan area where fourth graders researched the role that public issues played in the creation of two suburban school systems in their city. We coded student work samples to look for themes. Emergent themes from student work samples are…

The quality of educational work is inextricably linked to many factors at the system, school, teacher, and student levels. This research was carried out within the project 'Education of Teachers as a Factor of Providing High-quality Life-long Learning in the Learning Society/The Society of Fast Socio-economic Changes and Unsure Future', funded by…

The aim of this research is to determine the effect of collaborative project activities on gifted students' self-efficacy perceptions and their attitudes towards research inquiry. In the nature of research mixed pattern was conducted. Study group consists of six gifted students. In this research, cooperative project activities designed according…

The complexity of scientific concepts requires contextual knowledge that is often beyond the experience of young children. As someone new to the teaching profession, Georgie Orme sought out ways to make science more relevant and meaningful to children's lives. This article outlines an action research project that explored how she could use stories…

The relevance and value of increased learner participation in effect change research is increasing in its significance and importance across the education sector, guided by current national governance and the move of local authorities to implement action research models to drive improvement. This paper reports on a study led by primary seven…

This experimental study aimed to replicate and extend a previous efficacy study of an elementary grade content literacy intervention that demonstrated positive effects on students' vocabulary knowledge depth, argumentative writing, and reading comprehension. Using a cluster (school) randomized trial design, this replication experiment was…