Children’s perspectives on quality in extended education. Agency, co-construction, and the role of staff as facilitators

Abstract

Extended Education in its current form does not always achieve the intended effects, which are closely linked to its structure and quality. While quality has often been assessed from an adult and objective perspective using predefined standards, this paper adopts a relational understanding of quality as a reflexive construct shaped through discourse and negotiation. Building on a service-theoretical approach, the focus lies on children’s perspectives to better understand the perceived benefits and uses of Extended Education. Grounded in childhood research, children are seen as experts in their own everyday experiences whose views may differ from those of adults. This paper investigates how children perceive and co-construct quality in Extended Education. Drawing on two qualitative studies with 159 primary school children and six adolescents from one Swiss canton, the paper employs photo walks, group discussions, ethnographic observations, and interviews. Thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006, 2021) was used to identify patterns across the data. Findings show that Extended Education serve as important social spaces and shape opportunities for autonomy, participation, and interaction. Children not only engage, but also resist, negotiate, or selectively participate. The ability to negotiate one’s own involvement emerges as a key quality dimension. Staff should focus on their roles as facilitators of participation and co-construction and quality assurance frameworks should move beyond structural indicators to systematically include children’s voices.