Chapter 11

Conclusion and the way forward

Child-centeredness can be interpreted in multiple ways. It may be easier to understand its core ideas but putting them into practice can be challenging. Child-centeredness is context-dependent and is constantly changing due to environmental changes such as the advancement of technology. Cultural and societal perceptions towards children may change as well. The authors in this volume addressed challenges as well as possibilities when implementing child-centered research in their respective research contexts. As the conclusion of this volume, this chapter summarizes such concerns and unresolved challenges focusing on four major ethical-related themes. They are: (1) protecting children’s rights and respecting them as social actors; (2) making sure that children are ready to consent; (3) making children the primary beneficiaries; and (4) contextualizing research in the whole life of children and creating democratic partnerships. Although there are no easy remedies for overcoming the difficulties when conducting child-centered research, researchers’ awareness of child-centeredness and constant reflections on their research practice are key to advancing Applied Linguistics and making the research more child-centered.