Empowering children and young people as researchers: overcoming barriers and building capacity

Abstract

This paper explores the concept of children-as-reseasrchers through an exposition of the pioneering work of the Children's Research Centreat the Open University UK, http://childrens-research-centre.open.ac.uk. It situates this work within an empowerment and rights framework and charts its journey, from the first pilot work to recognition as a centre with significant international reach. The impact of child-led research, in terms of contribution to the body of knowledge on childhoods and our understanding of children's lived experiences, are examined along with a discussion of how child-led reserach can be influential in policy and practice contexts.