Adults know best: the absence of the voice of the child in determining the value of a curricular subject

A recently published annual survey by the National Society for Education in Art and Design has indicated that the value of the curricular subject of art and design is gradually being eroded in primary and secondary schools in the UK (NSEAD 2016); the data for this report has been gathered from adults and primarily teachers. Based on work currently being completed for doctoral studies in art education, identity, and children’s voice, using narrative inquiry as a methodology, this paper explores the use of the word value when discussing curricular subjects, the role that children play in determining this and the potential of additionally consulting pupils in order to understand the value of curricular subjects fully. Data for the research has been gathered through story and arts-informed research methods, collecting the experiences of primary school-aged pupils, and those of the adults that surround them. The paper also draws attention to the necessary role of auto-biographical self-reflection by the researcher when conducting qualitative studies of this nature. The aim of the paper is to encourage delegates to reflect on the potential role that children could have in determining future curriculum structures and subject value.