ABSTRACT
Getting pupils' opinions was both very easy and extremely difficult. It was easy because, during independent learning projects, I worked alongside the pupils as an equal member of the cooperative group and over the course of a successful project, due to the nature of independent learning, a trusting and easy-going relationship developed so that pupils, teachers and other observers were happy to discuss in critical terms educational citizenship and independent learning. It was difficult because of the sheer volume of data that could be collected; the need to ensure that data collection was uncontaminated by feelings of personal loyalty to either myself, other teachers or the concept of independent learning itself, whilst allowing the full range of expression; and the need to find forms of evaluation that did not exclude less literate pupils from expressing their opinions.
