Surveying children about their school experiences

Having direct reports on the perspectives of children and young people is of vital interest to the L4WB Foundation.  Such tools can provide critical insights, at all levels and in all sectors, to those working with children and young people, and for formulating policy.
Two versions of the Voice of Children have been developed.

Voice of Children 1

In 2006, the L4WB Foundation designed and piloted a first Voice of Children survey in Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine with the support of the Ministries of Education in each country, and in UNWRA for Palestinian refugees. A representative sample of 1500 students in grade 10 (14 to 16 years old) were surveyed to understand how school as a learning environment supports their well-being. Focus groups were also conducted to further illuminate the surveys.  Click here for the report.

Voice of Children 2

In 2007, on the basis of the outcomes of VOC1, the L4WB Foundation supported the work of a research group to update the conceptual framework and items of the first Voice of Children survey. This work was based on an extensive literature review.  A manual for implementing this survey was produced in 2010 by the Education Development Center (USA), one of the partners of the L4WB Foundation in this process.  Although this version of the survey was not field tested, the UWIC (University of Wales Institute Cardiff) conducted a number of focus groups with 14-16 year olds.

A follow-up to the original Voice of Children is planned as part of the ten year review of Elham Palestine.