Dr. Katherine Covell is a professor of developmental psychology, at Cape Breton University in Canada. She has an extensive publication history in the area of children’s rights and children’s rights education, most of which has included the perspectives of children obtained through focus groups, interviews, or surveys.
Her early work:
Covell, K., & Howe, R.B. (2001a), Moral education through the 3 Rs: Rights, Respect and Responsibility. Journal of Moral Education, 30, 31-42.
Covell, K., & Howe, R.B. (1999), The impact of children’s rights education: A Canadian study. International Journal of Children’s Rights, 7, 171-183] impelled the initiation of a child rights- based school initiative in Hampshire England which she has been evaluating over the past eight years
Rights, Respect, and Responsibility: Report on the Hampshire County Initiative:
Over eight years, Drs. Covell and Howe travelled to the County of Hampshire, England to administer surveys and interviews for the evaluation of the Hampshire Education Authority’s Rights, Respect and Responsibility (RRR) initiative. The RRR initiative was started in Hampshire in 2003 after prior visits by Hampshire teachers and senior administrators to the Cape Breton University Children’s Rights Centre whose directors had evaluated a program of children’s rights education in schools in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada. Like the Cape Breton program, the RRR is based on and consistent with the rights of children as articulated in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The RRR extended the Cape Breton Program through systematic and strategic implementation of the initiative, through the widespread provision of teacher training, and through a whole-school reform approach. Overall, the RRR initiative must be considered to be a major success. Many of the findings were in the expected direction; that implementing a rights respecting orientation into the overall school ethos would have benefits for students, teachers, and administration. This study yielded intriguing results regarding the effects of the implementation of a children's rights respecting environment in public schools.
Publications following the Hampshire County Intitiative:
Covell, K., Howe, R.B., & Polegato, J.L. (2011). Children’s human rights education as a counter to social disadvantage. A case study from England. Educational Research. 53 (2), 193-206;
Covell, K. (2010). School engagement and rights-respecting schools. Cambridge Journal of Education, 40 (1), 39-51;
Covell, K., Howe, R.B. & McNeil, J.K*, (2010) Implementing Children’s Human Rights Education in Schools. Improving Schools, 13 (2), 1-16;
Covell, K., Howe, R.B., & McNeil, J.K. (2008). ‘If there’s a dead rat, don’t leave it.’ Young children’s understanding of their citizenship rights and responsibilities. Cambridge Journal of Education, 38 (3), 321-339;
Covell, K., McNeil, J.K. & Howe, R.B. (2009). Reducing teacher burnout by increasing student engagement. A children’s rights approach. School Psychology International, 30 (3), 282-290.
Howe, R. B. & Covell, K., (2010) Miseducating children about their rights, Education, Citizenship and Social Justice, 5 (2), 91-102;
Howe, R. B. & Covell, K., (2010) Toward education in the best interests of the child. Education and Law Journal, 20 (1), 17-33].
She also has co-authored five books including:
Education in the Best Interests of the Child: A Children's Rights Perspective on Closing the Achievement Gap by R. Brian Howe and Katherine Covell (2013)
The Challenge of Children's Rights for Canada by Katherine Covell and R. Brian Howe (2001)
A Question of Commitment: Children's Rights in Canada by R. Brian Howe and Katherine Covell (2007)
Empowering Children: Children's Rights Education as a Pathway to Citizenship by Katherine Covell and R. Brian Howe
Children, Families and Violence: Challenges for Children's Rights by Katherine Covell and Brian Howe (2008)
Contact us for a complete publication and presentation profile of Dr. Katherine Covell.
Her early work:
Covell, K., & Howe, R.B. (2001a), Moral education through the 3 Rs: Rights, Respect and Responsibility. Journal of Moral Education, 30, 31-42.
Covell, K., & Howe, R.B. (1999), The impact of children’s rights education: A Canadian study. International Journal of Children’s Rights, 7, 171-183] impelled the initiation of a child rights- based school initiative in Hampshire England which she has been evaluating over the past eight years
Rights, Respect, and Responsibility: Report on the Hampshire County Initiative:
Over eight years, Drs. Covell and Howe travelled to the County of Hampshire, England to administer surveys and interviews for the evaluation of the Hampshire Education Authority’s Rights, Respect and Responsibility (RRR) initiative. The RRR initiative was started in Hampshire in 2003 after prior visits by Hampshire teachers and senior administrators to the Cape Breton University Children’s Rights Centre whose directors had evaluated a program of children’s rights education in schools in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada. Like the Cape Breton program, the RRR is based on and consistent with the rights of children as articulated in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The RRR extended the Cape Breton Program through systematic and strategic implementation of the initiative, through the widespread provision of teacher training, and through a whole-school reform approach. Overall, the RRR initiative must be considered to be a major success. Many of the findings were in the expected direction; that implementing a rights respecting orientation into the overall school ethos would have benefits for students, teachers, and administration. This study yielded intriguing results regarding the effects of the implementation of a children's rights respecting environment in public schools.
Publications following the Hampshire County Intitiative:
Covell, K., Howe, R.B., & Polegato, J.L. (2011). Children’s human rights education as a counter to social disadvantage. A case study from England. Educational Research. 53 (2), 193-206;
Covell, K. (2010). School engagement and rights-respecting schools. Cambridge Journal of Education, 40 (1), 39-51;
Covell, K., Howe, R.B. & McNeil, J.K*, (2010) Implementing Children’s Human Rights Education in Schools. Improving Schools, 13 (2), 1-16;
Covell, K., Howe, R.B., & McNeil, J.K. (2008). ‘If there’s a dead rat, don’t leave it.’ Young children’s understanding of their citizenship rights and responsibilities. Cambridge Journal of Education, 38 (3), 321-339;
Covell, K., McNeil, J.K. & Howe, R.B. (2009). Reducing teacher burnout by increasing student engagement. A children’s rights approach. School Psychology International, 30 (3), 282-290.
Howe, R. B. & Covell, K., (2010) Miseducating children about their rights, Education, Citizenship and Social Justice, 5 (2), 91-102;
Howe, R. B. & Covell, K., (2010) Toward education in the best interests of the child. Education and Law Journal, 20 (1), 17-33].
She also has co-authored five books including:
Education in the Best Interests of the Child: A Children's Rights Perspective on Closing the Achievement Gap by R. Brian Howe and Katherine Covell (2013)
The Challenge of Children's Rights for Canada by Katherine Covell and R. Brian Howe (2001)
A Question of Commitment: Children's Rights in Canada by R. Brian Howe and Katherine Covell (2007)
Empowering Children: Children's Rights Education as a Pathway to Citizenship by Katherine Covell and R. Brian Howe
Children, Families and Violence: Challenges for Children's Rights by Katherine Covell and Brian Howe (2008)
Contact us for a complete publication and presentation profile of Dr. Katherine Covell.