Research “about” and “with” children from diverse cultural backgrounds in Poland – dilemmas and ethical challenges

The text refers to contemporary research about children from diverse cultural backgrounds in Polish educational institutions. I reflect on the need to decolonise this research and to sensitise scholars to the ethics of research “about” and “with” children. I argue that this should be oriented towards participation and the right to be properly researched, as postulated by J. Ennew. Ethics is crucial in the search for non-discriminatory research strategies (also in the area of affirmative action) due to the dominating research “about” children rather than “with” children or from the perspective of children. I reflect on research practices with children from diverse cultural backgrounds in Polish schools and preschools. I also draw attention to the ethical need to verify research about this group of children in the light of protecting their rights in a new country, language, education system and new culture. The absence of children’s voices and the prevalence of narrations about them as well as the lack of participatory research with this group of children preclude a deeper insight into their situation and ways of looking at the world. With this article I aim at making children’s voices heard.

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