Cards, tears and fiddling

Opening and closing spaces for pupils' engagement in elementary school development discussions

Authors

• Anu Uusikylä Oulun yliopisto
• Sari Haapakangas Suomen Vanhempainliitto
• Tuija Huuki Oulun yliopisto

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33350/ka.89684

Keywords:

affect, co-formation, development discussion, engagement, new materialism, participation, posthumanism, space

Abstract

In this study, we consider pupils' participation and engagement in elementary school development discussions from the perspective of affective and material dimensions. In order to expand the reach of research beyond that of linguistic and textual research methods, posthumanist, feminist, and new-materialist scholarship has recently developed new methodological tools for the study of educational events. Drawing upon the concepts of affect, striated and smooth space, and co-formation, we explore how spaces for child engagement open and close in development discussions. The data was generated with the visual pedagogical-methodological KESY material designed for the study by the authors, aiming to increase children’s participation in their development discussions and, at the same time, making the spaces of engagement visible. The data comprises field notes, photographs and audio-visual recordings generated during development discussions in a Finnish city. Three of the cases were selected for closer examination for the purposes of this study. We suggest that the space for engagement in development discussions is smoothed by a positive, affective atmosphere, picture cards and movement, as well as a tactile connection to material objects. Engagement is striated by hurried adult guidance, normative expectations and speech-centricity, as well as inflexible school structures and practices.