Immigrant students’ knowledge and experiences around the school: a relational,child-centred approach ( Saberes y experiencias del alumnado inmigrante en torno a la escuela: aproximación relacional y centrada en la infancia )

Abstract

This article is part of the European project MiCREATE, whose purpose is to investigate the reception of immigrant minors in educational systems and society from a child-centred approach. This text builds on one of the phases in the project in which three case studies were conducted in three primary schools in Barcelona. It focuses on the activities of 75 children aged 11–12 at these schools, who were questioned about the notion of ‘voice’ and ‘giving voice’ as the epistemic and ethical referents of this perspective, adopting a decolonizing position. Using the participants’ contributions through artistic methods, they reveal their knowledge and experiences on three particularly significant dimensions in their lives inside and outside school: socialization, care and interaction, and play. These contributions are compared to other studies, suggesting the need for perspectives that avoid imposing views on children in research and education.