This paper presents findings from a pilot study designed to test data collection techniques for gaining detailed, empirical insight into mobile technology use in socio-economically deprived pupils. Focussed on pupils aged 13-14 in a deprived inner-city area of Manchester, UK, key considerations included ethical awareness and the potential for sensitive data to be produced and discussed, and the effectiveness of the techniques in producing significantly trustworthy and representative data. Data collection techniques that were trialled include observation, diaries, interviews and raw data from devices.
Understanding the lives of children from low socio-economic backgrounds, particularly in relation to the formal educational context, is an area of interest for researchers and policy makers across Europe. Clycq and Timmerman (writing in Timmerman et al, 2016) point to the common problem of educational inequalities in most western societies and highlight that ‘socially vulnerable children’ from lower socio-economic backgrounds, “Often experience troubled school careers and do not easily find their way to higher education, or do not even obtain an upper secondary qualification” (Timmerman et al, 2016, p2).
Finding a connection between the ‘home’ lives of these children and their school experiences is seen by many as an important area to be explored, with the ultimate aim of increasing engagement in the formal school environment. Vadeboncoeur (2006), for example, looks at how to engage young people outside of school and suggests that learning is mediated by certain ‘cultural tools’, "From speech and language to our use of [...] computers" (Vadeboncoeur 2006). Wikeley at al. (2007) also cite activities and practices as being significant for learner engagement and suggest a need for a more ‘complementary’ relationship between different learning sites – school, home and 'out of school' (Wikeley et al. 2007).
Work that aligns itself with a Funds of Knowledge (FoK) approach resonates strongly with these ideas. FoK was developed from a belief that a qualitative examination of the knowledge, skills and resources present in disengaged and low-achieving pupils' households and communities would allow for the development of innovative teaching practices and higher quality delivery in classrooms (Moll et al 1992). Of particular relevance to this paper is work by Moll et al (2013), who looked at pupils' use of technology and the potential for this as a digital FoK to feed into their classroom work. Further, Zipin et al (2012) conclude that practitioners and policy makers should be focussing more on recognising pupils' ‘valuable knowledge and experiences’ to help foster educational development, 'transforming students’ diversities into pedagogical assets’ (Zipin et al. 2012).
Merchant (2012) cites Kukulska-Hulme et al (2009) as providing a ‘useful review of European initiatives’ in this area, stating that they, “Report on a variety of projects that use mobile technologies to help connect learning across contexts and life transitions, and to form bridges between formal and informal learning” (Merchant 2012). With a focus on ‘mobile learning’ (a term which is used to describe the use of mobile devices in learning contexts, both formally and informally), Kukulska-Hulme et al state that it, “Challenges views of formal education as the transmission or construction of knowledge within the constraints set by a curriculum, calling instead for the exploitation of technology in bridging the gap between formal and experiential learning" (Kukulska-Hulme et al, 2009, p.9).
This research aims to contribute to these keys areas, exploring links between the use of mobile technology and the relationship pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds have with formal education. This paper discusses the methodological challenges faced when conducting this research, and focusses on the trialling and refining of research methods designed to gain detailed, empirical insight into pupils’ technology use and behaviours.
