Methodology
Lleisiau Bach Little Voices is a form of participatory action research (PAR):
What is PAR? Hart 1992, p. 16 described it as research that:
‘begins with a concrete problem identified by the participants themselves; and it proceeds to investigate the underlying causes of the problem so that the participants can themselves go about addressing these causes.’
BUT Lleisiau Bach Little Voices has two special features that distinguish it from most other PAR practices:
It is framed by the UNCRC: as to the scope of projects, conduct of research, ethics and approach to impact. Adults’ interactions with children in projects will respect, protect and promote the rights of the child.
And, within that UNCRC framework:
It is child-led: The children decide what they will research, how they will do it and who they will seek to involve. They decide how to present their results and recommendations. They decide whether and with whom to seek to bring about change.
It is not research ‘about’ or ‘on’ children, but a way of supporting children to work together and with adults to identify issues, plan research, gather evidence and to find and promote solutions that will give better effect to the UNCRC in practice.
Because the work is UNCRC-framed, we can use the system of the UNCRC at international, national and local levels to advocate for change. On our Projects pages you can see how we make these connections, and how we connect also with Wales’ the Well-being Goals under the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Read more about the Lleisiau Bach 6-step approach in our Training Manual.
Read the original Children as Researchers pack produced by Funky Dragon and the Welsh Local Government Association, which started the Lleisiau Bach journey.
Read here an article the Lleisiau Bach Little voices team helped to write, which explains how children’s rights and sustainable development can and should be given effect together.
Connecting Lleisiau Bach Little Voices to policy, law and educational curriculum
Lleisiau Bach Little Voices is framed by the UNCRC, and when reflecting on individual projects we refer to themes derived from the monitoring and reporting system under the UNCRC. Read more about links to UNCRC monitoring and reporting here.
Many projects can also be linked to the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Read more about this here.
In Wales, the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and the work of the Future Generations Commissioner gives expression to the SDGs, promoting 7 well-being goals and 5 ways of working that have been prioritised after consultation with people and communities in Wales. Read more here about how Lleisiau Bach Little Voices can support the Welsh well-being agenda.
Lleisiau Bach Little Voices methods are highly supportive of the four purposes of the Welsh educational curricula for ages 3 – 16 implemented from 2022. Read more about this here.