Perspectives on pupils’ experiences of and involvement in school curriculum reforms in Wales

Klibavicius, Darius 2025. Perspectives on pupils’ experiences of and involvement in school curriculum reforms in Wales. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

Preview	PDF (Thesis) - Accepted Post-Print Version Download (28MB) | Preview
	PDF (Cardiff University Electronic Publication Form) - Supplemental Material Restricted to Repository staff only Download (2MB)

Abstract

This doctoral thesis investigates the perspectives of primary school pupils and their teachers on curriculum reform in Wales. Situated at the intersection of childhood and curriculum studies, it explores how children experience and participate in this process, recognising them as rights holders and active agents of change, consistent with the principles of the UNCRC. This research adopted a multi-case (multi-site) study design, collecting data through semi-structured interviews and observations with children aged 7–11 (n=124) and school staff (n=25) across five Welsh primary schools. Data collection instruments were developed in collaboration with a Children’s Research Advisory Group, ensuring that children’s lived experiences and perspectives were central to the research process. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis to examine pupil engagement in curriculum design and enactment. Framed within critical pedagogy, the study explores how power relations shape educational practice and considers the potential of a rights-based curriculum to empower children and promote democratic participation. The findings provide insight into how pupils navigate children’s rights and make sense of their school-level curriculum: (1) With the introduction of bespoke, school-level curricula, children engage in authentic learning experiences typically delivered through curriculum projects, thematic and inquiry-based learning approaches. However, their understanding of the curriculum’s structure – including its rationale, components, and terminology – remains limited. This understanding is more developed in schools where Four Purposes Characters are used to support curriculum comprehension. (2) Substantial awareness of children’s rights was evident across all cases, with Children’s Human Rights Education delivered through assemblies, the PSE curriculum, and integration across Areas of Learning and Experience. However, inconsistencies were evident in schools that had recently joined or lapsed in UNICEF RRSA accreditation, where children’s rights were frequently framed through behaviour-management approaches or within rights-responsibilities and self-governance discourses, indicating a constrained understanding of rights as conditional entitlements. (3) Children are offered opportunities for democratic participation through pupil voice groups; however, their involvement is largely limited to low-stakes matters such as food, equipment, and fundraising, while high-stakes decisions concerning curriculum, teaching, and learning remain within the remit of professional judgement. Adult participants describe the Curriculum for Wales (CfW) as “pupil-influenced, not pupil-led,” reflecting broader adult–child power relations. This framing limits children’s participation in curriculum-making, positioning them primarily as curriculum experiencers rather than as curriculum planners or enactors. Overall, the findings suggest that although children have limited explicit knowledge of the CfW, they nevertheless experience meaningful learning within its flexible framework. By contrast, although children demonstrate awareness of their rights, these rights are not consistently experienced in everyday school practice. The study concludes by outlining key implications for educational stakeholders, including pupils, parents, policymakers, practitioners, and researchers.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Schools > Social Sciences (Includes Criminology and Education)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	9 July 2026
Last Modified:	09 Jul 2026 09:28
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/188086

Actions (repository staff only)

Edit Item