Pilot study

The pilot study was designed to assess the feasibility of working with this group of pupils to explore the research questions, and to begin to develop relationships of trust with the pupils. A further pertinent observation was the marked reluctance on the part of the pupils to have to write (the reasons for this were not clear, nor part of the research). What was needed in the pilot stage was a novel approach, removed from the normal school situation, which did not oblige pupils to write and which would foster trust between the group and me. Photo elicitation was thought to be a suitable approach.

Photo elicitation was used to provide a novel introduction to the research, but more importantly to engage the pupils in conversation. It was felt that most contemporary pupils are adept and used to taking photographs using the cameras on their phones, and that the step to using a digital camera would be small and manageable. What was needed were small, simple-to-use digital cameras for the pupils, with the facility to upload

images thy had taken onto a secure laptop computer to avoid any possibility of the images being uploaded to social media. Simple digital cameras were loaned by the university for the research and these were allocated to the pupils. The pupils were given basic training in the use of the cameras. They all tried to take a ‘selfie’ and found this was not possible with the cameras provided!

There was the ethical issue which needed to be addressed of the pupils potentially taking photographs of other vulnerable pupils. To alleviate this potential issue, the pupils were told always to ask permission of any other pupil before they took any photographs. The

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other related ethical issue was that of certain vulnerable pupils who might well give their permission, but their photographs were not allowed to be taken at school. The pupils in the research were reminded that they were not allowed to upload photographs to social media, although this was a general reminder since the cameras provided did not give access to the internet. The issue of photographs being taken of vulnerable pupils was overcome by uploading the photos taken in the photo elicitation sessions to a secure laptop. The photographs were then deleted from the pupil cameras at the end of each session.

After the initial meeting and the distribution of the cameras, pupils were asked in the following week to take some photographs around the school of things they liked. These pictures were then uploaded to the dedicated research computer in time for them to be discussed at the next meeting. At first, the plan was to discuss each individual pupil’s work with that pupil. This meant talking to one pupil whilst the other three pupils were in the room. This proved very difficult since the three pupils not discussing photographs struggled with not being purposefully occupied; and the free time provided opportunities for small-scale disruption. To resolve this the individual pupil’s photographs were

discussed in the group as a whole. This was not an ideal situation since it raised the possibility that the voices of some pupils would be overshadowed by their more vocal peers. There was also the possibility that pupils were not making comments for personal reasons, fearing rebuke from the other pupils. These group meetings were carefully managed to minimise such negative effects.

Over the next few weeks the research followed the same format with the pupils being given a week to take photographs of a topic from a list I provided: my favourite lesson; something I was proud of this week; what we did in PE this week; a good performance in PE; an interview of a friend on video (possible on the pupils’ cameras); what I like/dislike in PE and a sport I took part in over half-term.

When the pupils had taken the photographs, a discussion followed by the group about what they noticed from the photographs, together with a discussion about what the

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photographer had been attempting to achieve. In the early stages these sessions were lively with some of the photographs being of dubious quality and the subjects very diverse e.g. my favourite teacher as a blurred photograph ‘because he would not stand still long enough for the photo to be taken’ (Pupil Y). Pupil I took a photo of his best friend – his iPhone! The approach mirrored the essence of photo elicitation since the pupils chose which photographs to take. As they were not initially required to take photographs related to specific research topics, the pupils gained some control over the power

dynamics of the researcher/pupil relationship. At this stage in the research the questions asked about the photographs were flexible and suited to the needs of the individual pupil. Pupils were not required to provide what they might perceive as the correct answer to the adult. It was out of these early sessions of photo elicitation and the development of trusting relationships that it was possible to move the research onto the focus group.