Order in the Kidsville Court: A study of the longitudinal co-construction of child leader development and group activity development

This descriptive study explores the co-construction of leadership over a six-month period of time in an elementary school activity, the Kidsville Court. This activity was part of a "town" created by children in their spare time during the mid-1980's. The setting is a two-room private elementary school. Analyses use transcriptions of dialogue taken from videotape of 28 Kidsville Court trials. Activity theory methodology is used to describe leadership development at three levels: task organization behaviors of child leaders; development of legal practices of the Kidsville Court activity; and developmental processes that bring about changes for individuals and the activity.;Child leadership is often equated with task-organization behaviors of individuals. A quantitative analysis identifies four child leaders who frequently display task-organization behaviors. These older peers are experienced judges, lawyers, and bailiffs, and they perform task organization behaviors during court trials as part of their role-related duties.;A second analysis demonstrates change in practices of legal representation at the activity level. In American culture it is considered essential to provide procedural equity in spite of unequal distribution of resources to assure that both sides of an issue are heard. Legal representation is a foundation of American procedural justice. In early Kidsville court trials, legal representation is often not provided to litigants, and there is no expectation that court leaders provide representation. A qualitative improvement is seen in later Kidsville court trials, with leaders consistently assuring representation.;A third analysis focuses on developmental processes of change in Kidsville Court. Change begins in specific court trials when court leaders confront inequities to individual litigants caused by court practices of legal representation. Contradictions continue to arise between equity and uneven distribution of legal resources. Leaders take action and, with the help of their teacher, co-construct transformations of inequitable practices. After several transformations, court practices begin to change toward universal provision of legal representation.;The Kidsville Court activity provides a "zone of proximal development" (Vygotsky, 1978) for participant action. The activity provides extant practices, a forum for discussion of contradictions, and a status hierarchy which enables change. Leaders collaborate to construct new legal practices and values. New practices provide further opportunities for leader development and stimulate development of the complexity of the court activity. Court events contribute to shared history and experience. The interdependence of actions of child leaders with the framework of the activity results in the establishment of a value of equity in legal representation.