Research as a scenario for child participation: perceptions and proposals for community action

The participation of children and adolescents in a variety of social and community spaces, as well as in political life, is one of the most relevant collective challenges facing democratic societies. In this context, educational stakeholders present in communities-especially university, schools, and municipalities-play a crucial role in the collective and collaborative development of participatory initiatives aimed at including younger citizens. This article presents a descriptive and evaluative study conducted in the municipality of Teo (A Coruna). The objectives were to analyze the evaluation of the third phase of the research-action project "CON_LecerTeo: exploring our leisure times," as well as to examine community actions to be implemented in the short and medium term. The mixed methodology employed allowed for data collection through a survey directed at students in public schools (N=280). This information was complemented by 5 in-depth interviews conducted with children and adolescents from the Local Participation Council and the management team of the educational institutions participating in the research. Descriptive analyses were performed on quantitative data, along with content analysis for qualitative data. The main results reveal the relevance and significance of the project, emphasizing the participatory process generated and the traveling exhibition as outcomes of the activity carried out in the 2022/2023 academic year. Additionally, the need to address shared responsibility in the municipality was evident, ensuring the engagement of all educational stakeholders to advance child and adolescent participation.