Project STAR, STudents As Researchers: Participatory Research with Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020

This research is part of a larger qualitative study that took place during the 2019-2020 school year focusing on children’s literacies of research, which are conceptualized as the social practices children employ to investigate issues that matter to them. The research site was a public elementary school in a small city in northeastern United States. The child co-researchers and I met as a research group once a week during the school day. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the emergency closure of the school, the research group transitioned to a virtual space, utilizing the school district’s digital platform. This study presents data collected during the six virtual research group sessions, conducted early in the COVID-19 pandemic during mandated social distancing and emergency remote learning. Child co-researchers detailed their experiences with social isolation and remote learning as well as how they innovated with digital technologies to meet their needs. The focus of the research group shifted in response to the needs and interests of the children and the sociocultural context of the pandemic.