Issues in research with children and young people

Are you interested in how research can contribute to our understandings of children and young people and learning more about their worlds? This module examines the research process through studies with young children, children and young people carried out in the fields of education, health and social care. It explores topics central to the research process such as ethics, diversity, power and the responsibilities of researchers. This is a project-based module with no exam and it will help you to develop your own research and analytical skills using audio, video and online materials.

What you will study

What do children and young people understand about their worlds? How can research increase our understandings of the lives of children and young people in different contexts? Are you concerned with the ethics of research, with participation and power issues, and the responsibilities of researchers? Are you interested in where research with children and young people has had an impact?

You’ll consider these, and other questions, in this module which focuses on research with participants aged from birth to early adulthood in the fields of education, social science, health and social care. It will prepare you for carrying out research with children and young people. This is achieved by introducing you to a range of research methods and approaches; alerting you to a number of important issues arising in research with children and young people; and providing you with the opportunity to reflect on specific research skills and their impact.

The module is divided into four blocks.

In Block one – Issues in research with children and young people – you’ll investigate some of the issues faced by researchers conducting research with children and young people today.

Block two – Research methods – looks at some of the approaches to research and you’ll explore a range of issues raised by using these approaches.

Block three – The reality of research – provides some real life examples of research carried out by researchers. You’ll go behind their research stories, finding out what some of the difficulties and issues are.

Block four – Engagement, dissemination and impact – re-examines the context in which research takes place and the impact of research with children and young people on policy and practice, and the academic impact as well as the direct and indirect influence on the lives of children and young people today.

The teaching is based around one module reader, together with associated audio, video and online materials.

The audio and video materials support the print materials in a number of ways. For example, they illustrate: different approaches to research with children and young people and the issues that arise; the processes of identifying research questions; collecting and analysing data; and the use of research by professionals. The online materials include a Study Guide and links to our online research articles collection.

Entry

There are no formal academic or experiential requirements to study this module.

If you're not sure you're ready, talk to an adviser.

Qualifications

Excluded combinations

Sometimes you will not be able to count a module towards a qualification if you have already taken another module with similar content. To check any excluded combinations relating to this module, visit our excluded combination finder or check with an adviser before registering.

If you have a disability

The OU strives to make all aspects of study accessible to everyone and this Accessibility Statement outlines what studying EK313 involves. You should use this information to inform your study preparations and any discussions with us about how we can meet your needs.

Study materials

What's included

You'll have access to a module website, which includes:

a week-by-week study planner
course-specific module materials, including study guide and project guide
a collection of research articles
audio and video content
assignment details and submission section
online tutorial access
links to forums for you to interact with your tutor and fellow students.

You’ll also be provided with a printed reader.

Computing requirements

Primary device – A desktop or laptop computer. It’s possible to access some materials on a mobile phone, tablet or Chromebook; however, they will not be suitable as your primary device.
Peripheral device – Headphones/earphones with a built-in microphone for online tutorials.
Our OU Study app operates on supported versions of Android and iOS.
Operating systems – Windows 11 or latest supported macOS. Microsoft will no longer support Windows 10 as of 14 October 2025.
Internet access – Broadband or mobile connection.
Browser – Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge are recommended. Mozilla Firefox and Safari may be suitable.

Teaching and assessment

Support from your tutor

You’ll have a tutor who will help you with the study material and mark and comment on your written work, and whom you can ask for advice and guidance. The module also involves voluntary participation in an online forum and you will be encouraged to take part.

You can also access a programme of online tutorial sessions. These tutorials will be led by your tutor and/or by another tutor in your teaching cluster.

Assessment

The assessment details for this module can be found in the facts box above.

You will be expected to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) online through the eTMA system unless there are some difficulties which prevent you from doing so. In these circumstances, you must negotiate with your tutor to get their agreement to submit your assignment on paper.

The end-of-module assessment (EMA) is a project report that takes the place of an examination. The project report focuses on the design of research with children and/or young people but does not involve carrying out the proposed research. It consists of three parts – a short introduction based on a summary of literature linking back to a previous TMA, the design of a research study and a critical evaluation.

Future availability

Issues in research with children and young people starts once a year – in October.

This page describes the module that will start in October 2023, the last time we expect it to start.

Regulations

As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations which are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.