Article

Student Voice and the Perils of Popularity

Taylor & Francis on behalf of the University of Birmingham
Educational Review
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Abstract

In this article we suggest that the current popularity of student voice can lead to surface compliance—to a quick response that focuses on ‘how to do it’ rather than a reflective review of ‘why we might want to do it’. We look at the links between student consultation and participation and the legacy of the progressive democratic tradition in our schools and we look also at the difference between teaching about democracy as an investment for the future and enacting democratic principles in the daily life of the school (a commitment to the present). The tension between institutional gains (the school improvement perspective) and personal gains (confidence, a view point and the shaping of identity) is discussed and three of the ‘big issues’ are identified that underlie the credible development of student voice: power relations between teachers and students, the commitment to authenticity, and the principle of inclusiveness. Finally we reflect on some of the organizational implications of developing student voice: finding time and building a whole‐school culture in which student voice has a place.

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... In this respect, Rudduck and Fielding (2006, p.221) found that the '... student voice is not a new topic for Educational Review, which had devoted a whole issue to it in 1978'. Mukherji and Albon (2011) mention that the interest in hearing children's voices has been apparent since 1980; however, nowadays, the 'children's voice' expression is considered a logical enquiry in children's lives, with each government providing different types of support on this issue and achieving this idea (Rudduck & Fielding, 2006). ...
... The participation process is founded on two key principles: allowing children to express themselves by voicing their opinions, whilst the adult's role is to support them and frame the idea for easy implementation (Ghirotto & Mazzoni, 2013 [2014][2015]. Moreover, as can be seen through Rudduck and Fielding's (2006) perspective, allowing children's voices to be heard is a more superior concept than allowing them to simply say what they want because finding their voice is relative to their identity. What is more, Flutter (2006) (Roberts, 2008, p. 272). ...
... What is more, this finding is in agreement with Reddy and Ranta (2002) and Groundwater-Smith and Mockler (2016), who suggest that having children participate in any project depends on their cultural practices, norms and country context. Additionally, Rudduck and Fielding (2006) propose that it is the government's role to offer different ways of helping children to express themselves. ...
Thesis
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In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), little is known about Saudi educational researchers’ perspectives concerning the issue of ethics when recruiting children to participate in research. It has come to light that researchers use children to collect their data from but do not give them the opportunity to express their wishes regarding participation in that research, and no ethical consent form is specifically required for children’s use unless the topic of research is sensitive. Accordingly, in the context of KSA, this research aims at identifying and exploring educational researchers’ perspectives about children’s rights when conducting research with children. This research used two methods: Q-methodology and interview. Q-methodology was used to determine the viewpoints of educational researchers working in education departments at two universities in Riyadh city in the KSA (King Saud University and Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University). Fifty-two (52) female educational researchers sorted 54 Q-methodology statements, according to personal opinion, ranging from (+5) most agree to (–5) most disagree, while the interviews were conducted with three policymakers from the National Commission for Childhood and the Ministry of Education. Following analysis of the data, a number of findings were identified from the Q analysis, five factors, and the interview analysis: the need for more childhood and children’s rights studies; the challenges facing researchers when including children as research participants; the weak belief pertaining to children’s capabilities; the low level of awareness of children's participation rights and how the ethics process is in the KSA. These findings illustrate the acceptance of ethics as a process in research. Finally, the effectiveness of using Q-methodology as an approach was confirmed. This research is in a position to inform the Saudi research community and policymakers about current understandings and practices in terms of children's participation in research. The viewpoints that emerged strongly indicate agreement with the concept of ethics when children participate in research. Educational researchers call for ethics guidelines and for them to be compulsory in the KSA and, more significantly, policymakers support their demand.
... The theory of student voice positions students' agency in analyses and revisions of education (Carey, 2013) and active citizens by challenging traditional power relations (Bahou, 2011;Rudduck & Fielding, 2006), but also sees them as curriculum co-creators (Ahmadi, 2021;Cook-Sather, 2010). Change grounded in purposeful engagement of student voice challenges traditional teaching and learning practices (Cook-Sather, 2006), benefits their motivation, commitment (Bovill et al., 2011), and has a beneficial effect on the completion of learning tasks and assignments (Pinto, 2020). ...
... Koper (2015, p. 308) says that "more knowledge about the preferences of learners is needed for a proper design of online and distance education, that is, being aware and taking care of dominant preferences in the appreciation for certain types of learning processes to keep students satisfied with the process and outcomes." Most studies tend to focus on disadvantaged student voice in relations to inclusion and power (Bergmark & Westman, 2018;Rudduck & Fielding, 2006), and mainly in primary and secondary education (Müller-Kuhn et al., 2021). However, there is recently a growing number of studies, such as the one on student participation in a HE curriculum development conducted by Brooman et al. (2015) where student voice was taken into account in the enhancement the process of curriculum redesign. ...
Article
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The purpose of this research is to analyze whether university students would be willing to engage in distance foreign language (FL) course design, and if the knowledge of their preferences could be used to present guidelines for course designers. Student engagement is seen as crucial to graduates’ achievement in HE, especially in online courses, yet there are no studies examining student voice in distance FL course design or curriculum delivery in the context of HE in Poland and very few international ones. The study identified five dimensions and feedback as the basic constructs to analyze students’ preferences about learning design of distance foreign language courses. The research study design is quantitative with descriptive and correlational methods. Data were gathered from HE students (n = 626) studying in Poland. The results show statistically significant differences regarding students’ gender, age, and academic level. The findings suggest that the learning paths in a FL distance course in HE should be created by taking into account the language skills students want to practice, gender identity, educational stage, learning communities, and age. The latter can influence students’ willingness to co-design the course, the course content, and the type of interactions. https://castledown.online/reference/jaltcall-v19n3-1011/
... In that case, student involvement refers to authentically negotiating a co-ownership of assessment where all involved have equal opportunity to have a voice about assessment and feedback practices (Deeley and Bovill 2015). If we follow Rudduck and Fielding (2006) and acknowledge the role of authenticity in teacher-student communication when genuinely showing interest in what students think and have to say, then we must pay attention to the questions used to elicit students' perspectives. However, the literature on feedback has predominantly focused on answering three questions: how (feed-forward), what (feed-back), and where (feed-up). ...
... Nevertheless, the traditional feedback model (Hattie and Timperley 2007) has been criticised for being one-sided and based on the transmission view of learning (Sadler 2010;Carless 2020). It might be the case that the question of 'why' is missing in the teacher-student dialogue (Rudduck and Fielding 2006). 'why' questions imply that teachers and students are committed to inquiring about why co-sharing assessment activity is valuable and worthwhile, which might lead to a dialogue about what kind of assessment fits the purpose of students' work. ...
Article
Student involvement in assessment is considered essential to assessment for learning (AfL), mainly for developing a shared understanding of what it means to be a competent learner. However, translating AfL into practice has been difficult because teachers are reluctant to co-share assessment responsibilities with students. Thus, this paper explores secondary teachers’ perceptions of student involvement in assessment and feedback from the angle of power relations and highlights the conflicting positions and challenges of inviting students into the decision-making process and negotiations on assessment. The data set was purposefully collected from three focus groups of teachers from three upper secondary schools in Iceland. The findings indicate that power relations influence teachers’ perception of student involvement. Power relations are mediated by teachers’ positions and their knowledge, language, and space. Moreover, the findings show that developing relationships of trust is critical in creating a space for dialogue and student involvement.
... The biggest challenge is that the existing power balance is disrupted (Bahou, 2011). This might initially be experienced as unsafe (Rudduck & Fielding, 2006), yet it is at this point that the cultural shift might emerge (Allen, 2021;Bahou, 2011;Cook-Sather, 2006;Fielding, 2001). ...
... These obstacles concern the emotions of actors and are often related to feelings of fear or insecurity (e.g., fear of undermined authority). Although previously related by Rudduck and Fielding (2006) to the process of change towards shared power, it now becomes clear that these obstacles also appear in the other themes: agency (e.g., participants feeling insecure about their social and research capacities) and perspectives (e.g., students feeling vulnerable when sharing their perspectives). This study reveals that participants with negative emotions do not embrace the disruption's potential. ...
Thesis
For students to learn democracy in their schools, it is critical that they can experience what it is like to participate. However, in Flemish and Belgian Dutch-speaking education today, despite its ambitious democratic goals, few opportunities for participation are provided, a concern that applies even more to urban schools. Understanding how urban schools can create learning environments where students can actively participate was therefore the central focus of this dissertation. Student- teacher partnerships represent a particular case of student participation in this study. From the literature on student participation, and in particular on student-teacher partnerships, three challenges emerged from which research objectives were drawn for this dissertation: (1) gaining an in-depth overview of the processes that elicit transformation in student-teacher partnerships, (2) identifying design principles for establishing participatory urban school contexts, and (3) developing partnership literacy.
... Sejumlah pakar menawarkan kerangka dasar yang dibutuhkan untuk mengoptimalkan eksplorasi dan akomodasi suara anak dalam pengambilan keputsan. Kerangka dasar tersebut mempostulatkan pentingnya beberapa prakondisi, yaitu relasi kuasa (power relation) antara guru dengan siswa, komitmen pada keaslian (authenticity) suara siswa, dan prinsip inklusifisme (Rudduck & Fielding, 2006). Seringkali terjadi, relasi kuasa yang menempatkan siswa sebagai pihak yang harus patuh pada guru dan otoritas lainnya menyebabkan aspirasi kebutuhan siswa tidak terdengar. ...
Article
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Democratic policy formulation needs data resources from first hand party. Children are the primary beneficiary of educational enterprises. Therefore, they need to be heard and involved in decision making processes. Current activity is an effort to explore and accommodate children’s voices in terms of their right fulfilment. Current activity was conducted in 2 days by inviting children’s representatives from each sub-district in Lombok Tengah. The activity was arranged by BAPPERIDA Kabupaten Lombok Tengah. Methods of activity are lecturing and presentation, focus group discussion, and pleno. Current activity produces 18 points of children’s voices which pertain to expectation for quality improvement of resources to support children’s rights and communication strengthening between children and parents, society, and government as policy maker. Conclusion can be drawn from this activity is children need for time and space for expressing their aspirations with ethics ways yet targeted at the problems they perceive.
... Para esto, es necesario instaurar políticas firmes y desarrollar acciones que tomen en cuenta los grupos sociales que se encuentran en desventaja por un entorno excluyente (Álvarez-Castillo et al., 2021). De igual manera, si se pretende construir una comunidad democrática es fundamental escuchar, reconocer y visibilizar las experiencias narradas desde las voces de los auténticos protagonistas, como es la voz del alumnado (Fernández & Parrilla, 2021;Fielding, 2011;Rudduck & Fielding, 2006). Por estos motivos, en este artículo la diversidad estudiantil es valorada desde una perspectiva positiva y realista, considerando que todos los seres humanos afrontamos o enfrentaremos situaciones de vulnerabilidad, principalmente en aquellas naciones en vías de desarrollo como es Honduras, país donde se efectuó el estudio. ...
Article
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Alcanzar la inclusión educativa se ha convertido en uno de los principales anhelos de las universidades públicas hondureñas. El objetivo de este artículo es describir las experiencias de estudiantes en condición de vulnerabilidad sobre el proceso de inclusión a partir de sus propios testimonios. El estudio fue cualitativo mediante un diseño basado en la teoría fundamentada. Para escuchar las voces de los participantes se realizaron tres grupos focales con 11 estudiantes universitarios no tradicionales (pueblo originario, discapacidad, ideología religiosa, feminismo, diversidad afectivo-sexual, afrodescendiente) pertenecientes a una universidad pública de Honduras. Los resultados de esta investigación se clasifican en cuatro temáticas: 1) los apoyos educativos en la universidad, 2) las acciones universitarias empleadas para disminuir las desigualdades, 3) los obstáculos en el camino de la inclusión y, 4) los retos para lograr construir una universidad inclusiva. Las conclusiones desvelan que para movilizar una auténtica inclusión educativa es urgente llevar a cabo una serie de transformaciones relacionadas con las culturas, las políticas y las prácticas inclusivas en las instituciones de educación superior desde la perspectiva de justicia social. Link de acceso: https://revistascientificas.us.es/index.php/fuentes/article/view/26155
... The inclusion of students' reflections in the design or improvement of ELT syllabi is important to promote learner-centered education, enhance language learning outcomes, and foster a positive and engaging classroom environment (Flutter, 2006). By actively involving students in the decision-making process (Bovill, 2013a;Bovill, 2013b), educators can tailor learning objectives to individual needs, promote autonomy and ownership (Morgan & Streb, 2001), enhance relevance and authenticity (Rudduck & Fielding, 2006), encourage reflective practice (Rumenapp, 2016), and foster collaboration and communication (Bahou, 2011;Mitra, 2008). ...
Article
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The study aimed to analyze ELT students’ reflections on reading and writing course at preparatory class. Case study design and convenient sampling technique were used. 15 ELT students participated in the focus group interviews voluntarily in which semi-structured interview form was used. The data were analyzed using content analysis. The students’ reflections were grouped into four themes as objectives and outcomes, content and materials, learning experiences and evaluation process. The findings of the study indicated that the outcomes of the instruction in preparatory class mostly met the students’ expectations and the objectives of the course were reached. The majority of them were satisfied with the content. Each student had unique learning experiences. The students expressed their satisfaction with the classroom atmosphere. They were also satisfied with the evaluation process. The research findings were discussed in the light of the literature, and recommendations were made for curriculum/syllabus designers, instructors and researchers.
... Meeting learning standards such as the Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards is a significant expectation in modern classrooms. However, Dewey's ideas, which advocated for valuing individual differences and students' interests (Williams 2017), may support the importance of personalized learning and students' voices (Rudduck and Fielding 2006). Kilpatrick's Project Method, on the other hand, calls for meeting the learning standards by valuing the effect of tests and measuring achievement as a whole. ...
... It has been contended that research should be useful to those involved (Rudduck and Fielding 2006), and this is a strength of our study. Children and staff valued the process and the completed Stories, and staff spoke about the way that Stories had already become a 'big idea going through the school'. ...
Article
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The views of children with special educational needs and disabilities are frequently left out of educational decision‐making processes. In recent years, researchers have sought to employ creative methods to facilitate children's voices in areas of importance. One such area is transitions between educational settings, a significant time that has the potential for positive outcomes. One creative method of exploring children's views of transitions is Digital Stories, a strength‐based video methodology. The aim of this research was to explore ways that Digital Stories can be used to facilitate children's voices at a time of transition. Interviews were conducted with three children and two members of staff at a pupil inclusion centre after they had cocreated Digital Stories. The research provided a new contribution to the literature on Digital Stories by exploring children's views of the process. Codebook thematic analysis resulted in four main themes: child as expert, self‐expression, positive reflections and looking forward. Overall, children and staff were positive about the process of creating Digital Stories to support transition to new educational settings. Limitations, directions for future research and implications for professionals are discussed.
... Para esto, es necesario instaurar políticas firmes y desarrollar acciones que tomen en cuenta los grupos sociales que se encuentran en desventaja por un entorno excluyente (Álvarez-Castillo et al., 2021). De igual manera, si se pretende construir una comunidad democrática es fundamental escuchar, reconocer y visibilizar las experiencias narradas desde las voces de los auténticos protagonistas, como es la voz del alumnado (Fernández & Parrilla, 2021;Fielding, 2011;Rudduck & Fielding, 2006). Por estos motivos, en este artículo la diversidad estudiantil es valorada desde una perspectiva positiva y realista, considerando que todos los seres humanos afrontamos o enfrentaremos situaciones de vulnerabilidad, principalmente en aquellas naciones en vías de desarrollo como es Honduras, país donde se efectuó el estudio. ...
Preprint
Full-text available
Alcanzar la inclusión educativa se ha convertido en uno de los principales anhelos de las universidades públicas hondureñas. El objetivo de este artículo es describir las experiencias de estudiantes en condición de vulnerabilidad sobre el proceso de inclusión a partir de sus propios testimonios. El estudio fue cualitativo mediante un diseño basado en la teoría fundamentada. Para escuchar las voces de los participantes se realizaron tres grupos focales con 11 estudiantes universitarios no tradicionales (pueblo originario, discapacidad, ideología religiosa, feminismo, diversidad afectivo-sexual, afrodescendiente) pertenecientes a una universidad pública de Honduras. Los resultados de esta investigación se clasifican en cuatro temáticas: 1) los apoyos educativos en la universidad, 2) las acciones universitarias empleadas para disminuir las desigualdades, 3) los obstáculos en el camino de la inclusión y, 4) los retos para lograr construir una universidad inclusiva. Las conclusiones desvelan que para movilizar una auténtica inclusión educativa es urgente llevar a cabo una serie de transformaciones relacionadas con las culturas, las políticas y las prácticas inclusivas en las instituciones de educación superior desde la perspectiva de justicia social. Enlace preprint: https://revistascientificas.us.es/index.php/fuentes/preprint
... Gunter and Thomson (2007), for example, point out that some voices speak louder than others. Some students may struggle to articulate themselves using appropriate language and may be concerned about how their 'contributions' will be perceived by teachers (Hall, 2017), and the more self-assured and articulate students may dominate consultative conversations and be more readily 'heard' (Rudduck & Fielding, 2006). According to McIntyre et al. (2005), student voice could, therefore, inadvertently serve as a 'dividing practice' (p. ...
Article
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Current approaches to the regulation of schools in most jurisdictions tend to combine elements of external inspection with systems of internal self-evaluation. An increasingly important aspect of the theory and practice of both, but particularly the latter, revolves around the role of other actors, primarily parents and students, in the process. Using literature review and documentary analysis as the research method, this article explores the research literature from many countries around the concerns of schools and teachers about giving a more powerful voice to parents and pupils. Then, focusing on Ireland, this article tries to clarify three things, official policy concerning stakeholder voice in school self-evaluation and decision making, the efforts by schools to implement this policy and the response to date of school leaders and teachers to this rather changed environment. Using Hart's ladder of genuine, as opposed to token, participation, it is argued that policy mandating parental and student involvement has evolved significantly, that schools have responded positively and that there is little evidence, as yet, of teacher concern or resistance. This response is explained by the low stakes and improvement-focused education environment; the controlled, structured and simplified nature of the self-evaluation process; and the limited extent of parental and student participation in decision making.
... À mesure que les chercheurs prennent conscience des implications de l'article 12 de la Convention des droits de l'enfant pour les études, ils doivent repenser le rôle de l'enfant dans le processus de recherche (Fleet et Harcourt, 2018;Tisdall, 2016). Il y a cependant des avertissements concernant des pratiques qui ne sont pas à la hauteur des intentions de la Convention, comme celles où les enfants sont seulement informés de leur participation (Rudduck et Fielding, 2006). En ce sens, l'enfant ou le jeune devrait être considéré dans les prises de décision notamment dans les suggestions sur le choix du matériel de collecte de données (p. ...
... The relationship between student consultation and participation reflects the legacy of progressive school democratic traditions. These traditions emphasize teaching about democracy as an investment for the future and applying democratic principles in everyday school life, fostering a whole school culture where student opinions are valued and have a place [23]. He experience of expressing student voices in schools, on themselves and their classmates, is positively related to students' attitudes to act democratically [24]. ...
Article
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The Pancasila Student Profile Strengthening Project/Projek Penguatan Profil Pelajar Pancasila (P5), initiated by the Indonesian government, aims to cultivate an independent curriculum in pioneer schools, presenting a challenge in selecting the most appropriate theme from the available seven: Nurture Their Spirit and Body (NS), Local Wisdom (LW), Engineering and Technology (ET), Voice of Democracy (VD), Sustainable Lifestyle (SL), Unity in Diversity/Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (UD), and Entrepreneurship (EP). This study developed and validated a P5 Theme Questionnaire/Kuesioner Tema (KT) to ascertain the priority theme aligning with student needs. Engaging ten pioneer junior high schools, the research surveyed 524 students. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) revealed a seven-factor theme model with 34 items, each demonstrating an average factor loading of greater than 0.7. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) corroborated the model's robustness (RMSEA = 0.025, CFI = 0.984, GFI = 0.991) and high reliability (Coefficient ω = 0.945, Coefficient α = 0.825). Gender-based preferences emerged, with male students favoring Unity in Diversity, Local Wisdom, and Nurture Their Spirit and Body, while female students preferred Local Wisdom, Voice of Democracy, and Sustainable Lifestyle. This research aimed to evaluate the EFA results for each P5 theme, assess the CFA model fitness, and identify student preferences for themes. Ultimately, the "Kuesioner Tema Proyek Penguatan Profil Pelajar Pancasila" (KT P5) serves as a practical and reliable instrument for identifying preferred P5 themes in pioneer schools, facilitating effective implementation of the P5 project.
... As we have seen, from a Smallian vision, which I would dare to define as holistic, this literature turns out to be deeply limited, and neglects to acknowledge that these artistic, social and educational aspects are, in fact, inevitably in constant interplay with the practice of orchestral conducting, taking on an ever-increasing significance in youth orchestras in particular. Here, there is a strong teacher-student power relationship (one of the three "big issues" described by Rudduck and Fielding (2006) in their recent seminal work on student voice), which means a sizeable responsibility for the conductor. Furthermore, student-student musical relationships are also expressed through orchestral roles. ...
Article
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In this article the author attempts a first description of his ongoing research on the pedagogy and educational philosophy which can be applied in working with the youth orchestra, based on Christopher Small’s theory of musicking; the youth orchestra is seen here as a learning community, and the author attempts to redefine the relationships which are embodied and shaped within it, wishing to stir up the stagnant social relationships of the classical orchestra community. The article is particularly concerned with the power relationship between the teacher-conductor and the students, while raising questions of musical identity, hierarchy and empathy from a Smallian perspective applied to the conducting of the youth orchestra, within a concept of educational conducting.
... The term student voice is also used to refer to a process in which children can actively participate in school decision-making that will shape their lives and the lives of their peers (Fielding, 2001;Levin, 2000;Mitra, 2004;Thomson & Gunter, 2007). It should be recognized that children have both expertise and experience, and they are capable of acting responsibly to contribute to school decisions that affect their daily lives instead of being considered only as consumers of services designed and managed by adults on their behalf (Rudduck & Fielding, 2006;Thomson & Gunter, 2007). In this article, we are focusing specifically on one particular meaning, children's active participation, voice and decision-making within a school context. ...
Article
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Children’s participation rights and well-being are two prominent concepts in children’s lives. While they are mainly addressed separately in research, empirical associations exist between them. The article analyzes the perspectives of children and teachers concerning children’s participation in decisions affecting their school life in one participatory initiative in a primary school in China. Thematic analysis of participant observation, interviews, focus groups, and document examination in one case demonstrates how children experience increased subjective well-being in their participation, focusing on the different types of subjective well-being that children reported improving as a result of their participation. The article indicates that children improved their subjective well-being in two dimensions: social well-being (e.g., friendships with peers and teacher-student relationships) and psychological well-being (e.g., relaxation).
... Despite the growing popularity of student participation, it is not without its critics, and issues have been highlighted in this regard, including concerns relating to student immaturity and ability (Jones and Bubb 2021;Rudduck and Fielding 2006); reliability and validity of student data (Burr 2015); and lack of realism (Bragg 2007). Students are not a homogeneous group with a single viewpoint on any given issue, and detractors also raise the question of 'whose voice'. ...
... This is because the opinions of children help sensitize educators to diversity issues (Ainscow & Messiou, 2018) and identify marginalized individuals (Rose & Shelvin, 2017). Additionally, it leads to a reduction in school failure (Rudduck & Fielding, 2006). ...
Article
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With the Salamanca Declaration on Special Education, the entire educational system promotes and encourages the inclusion of all students in mainstream schools, regardless of their origin or developmental issues. Although inclusive education has followed a distinct and separate path from special education in its evolutionary phase, they both emphasize the common ideology of responding to the needs of students to ensure their full participation in the educational process, whether they have disabilities, behavioral problems, or face segregation due to different ethnic backgrounds.
... In recent years student involvement in educational decision-making and classroom pedagogy has been actively embraced in school planning (Rudduck & Fielding, 2006). The most relevant way of embracing student pedagogical involvement, according to (Sugai & Horner, 2009), is when students who aware of the rationale of their education and pedagogy ways believe that they can choose their education options, so they make a psychological investment in learning, they strive to learn what the teacher offers, and they feel pride not only in receiving the formal indicators of success (scores), but in understanding the material and internalizing it into their lives. ...
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Diversity and differences between students are the reality that teachers deal with daily. To address this reality, developments in education aim to provide teachers with the knowledge and requisite skills needed for differentiated instruction (DI). DI is a pedagogical-didactic approach that enables teachers to systematically address students’ diverse learning needs. However, no validated instruments currently exist to measure or evaluate teachers’ and students’ beliefs toward DI in chemistry. Hence, there is a need to develop such questionnaires to examine students’ and teachers’ sense of self-efficacy (SE) and attitudes (AT). We describe the development and validation processes of such questionnaire that have been developed based on relevant literature on DI and on teachers’ experience with DI in a heterogeneous classroom. The items were validated by experts’ panel, a readability test, and a field test. A confirmatory factor analysis was undertaken to investigate the factor structure of the teachers and students’ questionnaires based on pilot test reliability, Cronbach’s alpha revisions, and rerun alpha. As a result, the SE and AT of students towards DI instrument entailed 38 items with a five-factor structure indicating a high reliability. Three factors of attitudes, ( α ) = 0.98, and two factors of self-efficacy, ( α ) = 0.91. The SE and AT of teachers entailed 55 items with a five-factor structure indicating a high reliability of self-efficacy, ( α ) = 0.95 and of attitudes towards DI in heterogeneous chemistry classrooms, ( α ) = 0.93.
... In Australia and Internationally, student voice initiatives are not mandatory (Rudduck & Fielding, 2006), and child participation is not typically considered when developing and writing policy within Australia (Australian Human Rights Commission, 2019). To clarify, there are some instances in Australia where consultation with children is recognised and informs policy. ...
Article
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Student voice initiatives aim to create democracy in education institutions by hearing from the very people who are impacted by them most; the students. Amplify is a practice guide written by the Department of Education (DE), Victoria, that aims to promote student voice practices for students in government primary and secondary schools in Victoria, Australia. Although limited, prior student voice research in education has identified key issues associated with enacting student voice practices linked closely to notions of political and social power in schools. Understandably, education institutions are grappling to identify and adopt conducive student voice practices. This research investigated how the DE Victoria represented Foundation to Grade 2 students in Amplify with consideration to the curriculum implications of student voice. This paper reports the findings from a study involving critical discourse analysis of this pertinent student voice document developed by the government for use by school leaders and teachers. The research revealed issues with Amplify’s discourse on student voice for improved learning outcomes, and identified the embedding of dominant social, political and power ideologies, as well as a clear under-representation or focus upon young children. The findings from this study make a valuable contribution to local and international student voice research as they reinforce a gap in the literature and contribute to the existing knowledge on the curriculum implications of student voice. They are valuable for informing the development of future curriculum approaches and provide a basis for further research in this area. The findings are also relevant to schools that are genuinely working to strengthen student voice in curriculum design.
... If management lets students have a say before making decisions, but few students feel they can participate in other aspects of school life, this might imply that the school allows students to express their opinions, but does not follow through on those opinions. If this is the case, students may not be motivated to try and participate in other ways at their school (Rudduck & Fielding, 2006). Another reason might be that schools only ask students for their opinion on other, and perhaps smaller, issues than those covered by the student WSA participation questionnaire. ...
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The article demonstrates how a questionnaire gauging students’ experiences of participation in decision-making at their school can operationalise student participation in a whole school approach (WSA) to education for sustainable development model. Some 902 students in three upper secondary schools participated in the study by giving their answers to Likert-scale items developed to tap into their experience of participation in the decision-making at their school. The students identified four distinct pathways of participation: (i) School and Leadership, (ii) Teaching and Learning, (iii) Community Connections, and (iv) Student Council. The results are discussed in the light of focus group interviews with eleven of the participants. The student WSA participation questionnaire proved to be a reliable and valid instrument that, together with the student WSA participation model, can be used by school leaders wanting to increase student participation, and by researchers investigating student participation throughout the whole school.
... Hearing and valuing the students voices by the academic institutes and universities have attracted researchers' attention to different related issues, such as youth leadersship, active citizenship, student participation, and youth empowerment (Mitra, 2008), respect, rights, power, andpresence (Cook-Sather, 2006), inclusion, authentication, as well as andauthority (Rudduck& Fielding, 2006). Learners'articipation (Bahou, 2011), autonomy (Alibakhshi, 2015, feasibility and desirability of autonomy (Alibakhshi, et al., 2015), engaging undergraduate students in designing syllabuses (Pakdaman, et al. 2022q), co-creation of course design, teaching approaches, and curricula (Cook-Sather, & Felten, 2011). ...
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Student’s Right-to-Know (SRK) in teaching includes student’s rights to know about the learning objectives, processes, procedures, university facilities and services, and educational and ethical requirements of the higher education institutes. However, as far as the review of the associated studies, Chinese undergraduate students’ perceptions of the consequences of SRK in teaching and its importance have yet to be well explored. Therefore,this qualitative (phenomenological study) aimed to investigate the Chinese undergraduate ’students’perceptions of the educational, social, and individual consequences recognition of the SRK by the universities in China. The informants (25 undergraduate students) were selected through purposive sampling, and the data were collected through interviews with the informants. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using available, selective, and axial theme analyses. Findings revealed that the recognition of SRK in teaching is accompanied by four main themes: educational, social and political, administrative, and individual consequences, each consisting of several sub-themes. Findings have theoretical and practical implications on consumers of higher education, including university staff, teachers, and students. Received: 10 February 2023 / Accepted: 17 April 2023 / Published: 5 May 2023
... Initially, an extensive literature review pertinent to the concept of student voice was pursued. Reviewing the studies done by Bovill et al. (2011), Bovill et al. (2016, Bovill (2013Bovill ( , 2014Bovill ( , 2020, Cook-Sather, (2006, 2020a, 2020b, Mitra (2003Mitra ( , 2018, Fielding (2001Fielding ( , 2011, Rudduck and Fielding (2006), Taylor and Robinson (2009), and Robinson and Taylor (2012), the major principles of student voice conceptualization were recognized to the researchers. This provided insights to figure out the underlying constructs of student voice, including "student consultation," "student participation," "student agency," "student empowerment," "students as decision-makers," "students as partners," and "students as agents of change" that researchers deem inevitable for creating conducive environments for democratic education. ...
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Student voice has gained momentum in improving educational landscapes recently. With the aim of creating opportunities for empowering educational systems, student voice rests upon the premise that curricula are co-created, mediated dialogically, and co-designed by teachers and students. Yet, student voice expression might be restricted by power relations embedded within institutions. In fact, the current study aims to investigate how student–teacher curriculum partnerships can be interpreted in Iran’s TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) higher education institutions through student voice. By means of semi-structured interviews and open-ended questionnaires, 41 M.A. TEFL students at Iranian state universities were requested to participate. The results—employing abductive analysis—indicated that teachers treat student voice in higher education teaching practices as tokenistic. The study delineates student voice in terms of student feedback and criticism, student decision-making, and student autonomy in co-creating teaching approaches and also highlights that teachers should provide spaces for students to construct dialogic approaches in education within a particular culture.
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Educational technology courses in teacher education programs are critical as they equip teacher candidates (TCs) with the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes to incorporate technology into their teaching. Given the rapid technological advancements, it is essential that these courses implement research-informed and current practices to promote TCs’ preparedness in using educational technologies. Accordingly, the instructional team of the educational technology course in the teacher education program at Brock University—Canada initiated a rigorous process to revise this course. This process included exploring the evolving needs of TCs and their feedback on previous course iterations and consulting with teacher educators who lead other courses in the program to ensure curriculum alignment. This paper aims to achieve the following: (1) document the course revision process, with a focus on how TCs and teacher educators were involved; (2) explore TCs’ evolving needs in educational technology; (3) present the revised educational technology course. The paper presents the findings of a survey administered to 116 TCs, focus groups with TCs, and a survey administered to 14 teacher educators. Findings from TCs’ survey showed high levels of their self-assessment of digital competence and intention to use technology in their future teaching. However, TCs believed that they had not received adequate training to do so, suggesting improvements in the design and delivery of the educational technology course. Drawing on the Voice Theory and instructional design models relevant to educational technology courses, this research offers valuable insights into TCs’ digital competence, the scholarship of teaching and learning, and universities’ response to change. Implications for teacher education research and practice are also discussed based on the course revisions and the adopted process.
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Research has shown that youth participation in school decision-making is hindered by both racism and adultism. However, less is known about the implications of intersecting forms of injustice for youth leadership to advance social justice. We address this area using the lens of intersectionality in a qualitative study of youth leadership at a school in an urban area. Our findings point to the complexity of representation in youth leadership, considering the intersections of not only age and race but also disability and language. Ultimately, our research indicates that efforts to increase youth influence should consider intersectionality.
Chapter
The realisation of children’s rights within educational contexts necessitates a shared comprehension between adults and children of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) (United Nations, Convention on the rights of the child. United Nations, 1989), which distinctly articulates not only the rights to which children are entitled but also the specific obligations required to fulfill those rights.While Convention is conspicuous in declaring what children are owed and how those obligations can be realised in school, rights attainment in many education contexts remain unfulfilled. The rights of the child are materially important as those rights relevant to child safety, protection, provision directly reflect the overarching principles of human rights understandings. Where child rights understandings become problematic is when the material aspect of the “child” that can be universally considered as worthy of protection is interchanged by socially and culturally constructed notions of the child viewed through various sociocultural and developmental lenses. By referencing children’s school participation through the criteria identified in Article 29 of the UNCRC, more practical, educationally relevant, and effective adherence to child’s rights can occur. Anchoring practice to the explicit mandates of the United Nations will enable the visible actioning of the child’s education rights. In this chapter the author identifies the synergies and divergences of children’s educational experiences with the mandates of the UNCRC.
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Consulting Students on Classroom Practice, ‘Good’ Teaching, and Teacher Performanceisabout the consultation of students on teaching and learning matters in schools, as part of typical school life as opposed to students being consulted as part of a project that includes some kind of external support.Craig Skerritt makes not only a conceptual contribution by providing new thinking tools and a new way of understanding and articulating student voice in relation to classroom practice, and by developing and presenting a heuristic device to aid research on student voice and classroom practice, but a series of empirical contributions by reporting on interview data with a range of school-based actors to spotlight existing views, practices and issues, and to call attention to hopes, desires, and fears for the future. The book provides a critical account of student voice in contemporary schools. Student voice is not taken at face value or accepted as being undisputedly positive, nor are schools or the people in them treated as homogenous entities devoid of context. Significantly, researcher subjectivity is central vis-à-vis the generation, examination, interpretation, and presentation of the empirical data. There is no claim to objectivity in this book and it is subjectivity that comes to the fore — through what Skerritt coins the ‘I(nterest) behind this research’, major emphasis is placed on his own experiences shaping his outlook. Skerritt occupies a certain vantage point and sees student voice through a particular lens, and this is reflected in the contents of this book.
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This article critically reflects on the Education Peace Project, instigated by seven young people in a northern England secondary school. It explores how this different beginning makes visible the relational, place-based approaches involved in collaborative research. We suggest schools could do more to support young people to think, talk and act on issues that concern them, by addressing deep-seated attitudes about childhood, knowledge and learning, and opening up spaces where young people can participate differently, by working collectively for meaningful change.
Chapter
This chapter provides a critical overview of research that illustrates the importance of school culture to students’ educational performance and experience of school. However, consideration will also be given to the difficulties of empirically evaluating the impact of school culture and ethos on student learning (Bragg & Manchester, 2011; Gorard, 2010; Donnelly, 2000). We will also consider how values are related to concepts of personal education. This includes discussion of the difficulty of measuring the impact of these within an educational context dominated by outcomes related to examination performance (Deakin Crick et al., 2007; Berkowitz, 2011; Lovat et al., 2011). The overview will draw attention to the problems of assuming ethos is something stable and controllable, on the one hand, while, on the other hand, not underestimating the significance of local school cultures to the fostering of personal values and the importance of these to learning behaviours. The chapter will conclude with a short explanation of the research methodology applied to overcoming these challenges.
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Few studies have shared insights on how principals invite student voice to enact equitable leadership practice. The purpose of this study was to explore the ways in which principals demonstrated their commitment to equity via advocating for student voice using in-depth interview data from six school principals in the United States. We present three findings that contribute to the field of leadership and student voice: (a) motivation for student voice, (b) desires and concerns for student future, and (c) student voice for authentic learning. This study advances how school leaders develop student democratic agency and critical consciousness through pursuing and welcoming student voice.
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THIS IS AN OPEN ACCESS ARTICLE - https://doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2023.2257132 In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in student and teacher voice in education. What distinguishes ‘teacher voice’ or ‘student voice’ from simply reflecting participants’ views as a source of data is the placement of participants in an empowered participatory position. It is the positioning of their voice as consisting of more than a process, and as something with value and power that extends voice engagement as one beyond that of informant. While research might focus on either student voice or teacher voice in isolation, there are few studies that position voice as something with power, and integrate the perspectives of both groups as being views that matter. This systematic review investigates and describes the nexus between student voice and teacher voice in educational research over 25 years and provides a framework for identifying the extent to which certain views and perspectives are prioritised in research, and whether the participatory function of the positioned research is doing what it sets out to do.
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Numerous nations implement Student Perception Surveys (SPS) in their schools to assess teaching for student learning improvement. However, research suggests no significant change in teachers’ practices following such student voice-based assessment initiatives, noting their struggle to act upon it. Utilizing the pyramid of student voice as a key framework, we investigate how a Participatory Action Research (PAR)-based professional development (PD) shapes a group of Australian secondary teachers’ interaction with SPS and professional learning. Analyses of the teachers’ interviews, research projects, and reflective notes about their use of SPS illustrate how the PAR-based PD informed their practice, specifically: (i) transforming ‘survey fatigue’ to increased student voice; (ii) contemplating personal, professional, and political entanglements; and (iii) (re)building teacher agency—employing SPS as collective learning tools of professional empowerment rather than accountability measures of teaching. Implications include pathways to strengthen teachers’ agency—honoring their professionalism—in assessment spaces increasingly shaped by student voices.
Chapter
There is a significant moment of convergence in the philosophies of Gert Biesta, Stanley Cavell and Nel Noddings. All three call on us to live together in the here and now, the real world, the everyday. They value language as it is lived and privilege humility over authority. Cavell labels this space—this phenomenon—as ‘the ordinary’, and in this final chapter I will claim The Ordinary as a distinctive capability of the educator which draws together the guiding themes of Voice, Risk and Care. To be capable of The Ordinary calls on every resource thus far discussed—Acknowledgement and Autobiography, Imagination and Interruption, Uncertainty and Attention—and invites the educator to live in a way that is oriented appreciatively towards the real world of the school.
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Denna antologi vänder sig företrädesvis till skolledare och lärare som på ett mer övergripande plan vill fördjupa sig i olika aspekter av skolutveckling. Boken spänner över ett brett kunskapsfält och diskuterar bland annat: • l skolor som lokala organisationer, • l olika utvecklingsstrategier när det gäller skolutveckling, • l vad som är utmärkande för effektiva skolor, • l skolor som lärande organisationer, • l inspektion som stöd för skolutveckling, • l olika system för kvalitetsutveckling och resultatuppföljning. Blicken riktas både utåt mot olika erfarenheter och exempel i Europa och inåt mot den aktuella situationen i Sverige när det gäller skolutveckling.
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Research suggests that creating communities of learning (academic and social) leads to a better Higher Education (HE) experience for students, which, in turn, makes it more likely that they will persist in their studies. The concept of ‘student community’ in HE has become more prominent of late, partly due to the UK Government’s emphasis on retention. One way in which student community can be engendered is by working with ‘students as partners’ in their learning: students work with academics and each other to create and extend their learning, which, in turn, has a positive impact on student community and retention. This article discusses the opportunities and challenges of working with ‘students as partners’ within a Politics HE disciplinary context. In particular, it summarises an Open University Politics student engagement project, part of the University’s partnership with UK Parliament. In doing so, the article has implications for Politics HE practice generally, and online Politics HE practice in particular, and makes recommendations for working with Politics ‘students as partners’ within the current UK HE policy environment.
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This article analyses the value of religious education in Australian government schools, including the contribution of the combination of Special Religious Education/Instruction (SRE/RI) and General Religious Education (GRE) to contemporary society. It is based on qualitative, grounded research with 58 interviews representing the six major faith groups in Australia—Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, and Baha’i, as well as drawing on McCrindle’s quantitative and qualitative data in an unpublished report co-written with the authors. The findings show that SRE contributes to values education, religious identity development and health and wellbeing. The SRE classes multiculturalise the schools and provide support to students who experience religious bullying in schools.
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COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) was declared to be a pandemic and health emergency by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in March 2020. It led to a series of worldwide ‘lockdowns’ where people were instructed to stay at home. Many children and young people (CYP) did not attend school during this time and COVID-19 has been described as an unprecedented disruption to education in the UK (The Nuffield Foundation, 2020). It is thought that CYP are likely to experience the impacts and consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for many years to come (Thompson et al, 2021) and there is deepening concern about the shorter and longer-term impacts for those already identified as vulnerable, such as CYP with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) (McCluskey et al, 2021). Every CYP has the right to express their views regarding all matters that affect them (UN General Assembly,1989), however, as the world has responded to COVID-19 and extensive research is carried out, there is a notable lack of studies hearing directly from CYP about their experiences of COVID-19. To be able to understand a particular phenomenon within a vulnerable population, the perspectives of those with direct experience need to be listened to and understood (Prunty et al, 2012). The current research therefore asked the question: how are CYP with SEND experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic? It aimed to listen to, interpret and report the experiences of CYP with SEND during COVID-19. A qualitative methodology was utilised, and six semi-structured interviews carried out with secondary school aged participants, all with SEND. The data gathered was analysed and interpreted using Reflexive Thematic Analysis (TA) and findings presented according to this approach. The findings illustrated four main themes: government restrictions, learning in a pandemic, relationships and the ‘new normal’. These are presented and discussed in light of theory, research and literature. Methodological considerations are addressed, particularly regarding the data collection process and the sample limitations. Findings are discussed in relation to the research goal which was to provide information and develop understanding for educational services, settings and communities about how best to support CYP with SEND during and following the COVID-19 pandemic. The potential implications for education settings, Educational Psychologists (EP), Local Authorities (LA) and the wider government are acknowledged. The findings also illuminate a number of suggestions for future research.
Chapter
Educational assessment is frequently positioned as having three dimensions: policy, process, and practice. The outcomes of the decisions in these dimensions manifest both in educational settings where young people “do” assessment, and in the “use” of assessment as a major component of politically driven educational policy change. Under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, children and young people have a rights entitlement to have their views heard and taken seriously on matters that affect them, yet these two areas – educational assessment and children's rights – are rarely considered as mutually enhancing. This chapter considers how bringing the realm of educational assessment together with young people's right to participation in educational assessment decisions, especially in formal policy deliberations, can produce radical ways of reimagining one of the most important educational activities in the lives of students.
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There is global recognition of the need to teach and assess complex competencies, which are often referred to as twenty-first century or work-ready knowledge and skills. While several assessment frameworks have been co-developed by researchers and teachers to assess competencies in schools, little is known about how these frameworks are shaped, both in product and process, by the active participation of other key stakeholders. This study, therefore, examined the co-construction of a competency-based assessment framework, incorporating the perspectives of teachers, students, and industry partners from an Australian secondary school community. Our findings reveal that the students confidently designed, articulated and justified the framework and then presented this to the adult participants, despite existing power dynamics. In addition, the students were able to navigate the co-construction process through acts of leadership and the use of questioning techniques, unmasking the opportunities for student leadership and voice within the design of assessment frameworks. We argue that the co-construction of assessment frameworks, involving a range of stakeholders, allows for workplace competencies to reflect school priorities and structures while also addressing the realities of the workplace and the needs, capabilities and imagined futures of students.
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In this article we argue for a shift in educational research, policy and practice away from teaching citizenship to an understanding of the ways young people learn democracy. In the first part of the article we identify the ways in which the discussion about citizenship in Britain has developed since the Second World War and show how a comprehensive understanding of citizenship, which has underpinned much recent thinking about citizenship education, has been replaced by a more overtly individualistic approach. In the second part of the article we delineate the key problems of this individualistic approach and make a case for an approach to citizenship education that takes as its point of departure the actual learning that occurs in the real lives of young people. In the concluding section, we outline the implications of our view for research, policy and practice.
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Incl. abstract, bibl. Education reform cannot succeed and should not proceed without much more direct involvement of students in all its aspects. This paper develops a set of arguments for a sustained and meaningful role for students in defining, shaping, managing and implementing reform, and outlines some ways in which such involvement might occur. The arguments are both organizational and educational in nature, as are the proposed strategies for increasing the student role in the reform and improvement process.
Book
Jean Rudduck and Julia Flutter call for a shift in the way we currently view young people at school and set out a case for radically rethinking aspects of school organisation, relationships and practice. Their research confirms that we need to see pupils differently, re-assess their capabilities and reflect on what they are capable of being and doing.
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This article explores some of the theoretical underpinnings of radical approaches to student voice and examines a number of practical issues we need to address if we wish to move towards a more transformative future. The framework within which the notion of voice is explored and critiqued falls primarily into two categories. The first, Deconstructing the presumptions of the present, explores the largely ignored problematic of much student voice work. (1) ‘Problems of speaking about others’, (2) ‘Problems of speaking for others’, and problems of (3) ‘Getting heard’ reveal a range of issues that need to be better understood and acknowledged. The second, On the necessity of dialogue, attempts a resolution, exploring the possibility of (4) ‘Speaking about/for others in supportive ways’ before offering the preferred (5) ‘Dialogic alternative: speaking with rather than for’ and further developing that line of enquiry through (6) ‘Students as co/researchers’. Finally, (7) ‘Recalcitrant realities, new opportunities’ offers some ambivalent, but still hopeful thoughts about current ­realities and future possibilities.
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Early school leaving is one of the most protracted educational problems around the world, but one of the least understood. Central to the issue itself, is the failure by the educational policy community to have ways of adequately 'naming' the problem. The study reported in this paper examines early school leaving from the position of 209 young Australians who had left school or who were at imminent risk of doing so. While acknowledging the considerable complexity of the decision making processes that lie behind this problem, this article provides a tentative theorising that traverses aspects of what we call the 'cultural geography of the high school' as a partial explanation of what is occurring. The question being pursued was how the culture of the school contributed to or interfered with early school leaving.
Article
The challenge of regeneration—of rebuilding urban communities by tackling the intractable collective action problems of the environment, education, transport and health—defies simple solutions. Individuals, if they are to flourish in a risk society, will need to learn throughout theirlives to develop their capabilities. In particular, the qualities of learning communities (reflexive, dialogic, cooperative) will be the condition for addressing these predicaments of our time. If this process is to be inclusive, ‘voice’ will be the distinctive capability which schools should encourage young people to acquire if all are to become active citizens in a just, learning democracy at the turn of a new century.
Article
This paper picks up and discusses issues regarding the relationship between language and practice commented upon by Michael Fielding in an earlier edition of this journal. The position taken is sympathetic to Fielding's concerns but attempts to situate the debate in a wider theoretical perspective. The basic thrust of the argument centres around two considerations: the extent to which language may be said to be partly constitutive of educational practices and a radical misconception as to the nature of education inherent in what Fielding labels 'the language of performativity'.
Article
Alex Bloom is one of the greatest figures of radical state education in England. His approach to 'personalised learning' and the development of a negotiated curriculum was immeasurably more profound and more inspiring than anything to emerge thus far from the current DfES. His approach to student voice was much more radical than anything presently emerging from the current new wave of activity. His school, St George-in-the-East, a secondary modern school in Stepney in the East End of London, utterly rejected regimentation, corporal punishment (still the norm at the time) and the use of marks, prizes and competition. On the fiftieth anniversary of his death it is fitting to return to learn again from his still unfulfilled legacy. Alex Bloom is arguably one of the greatest figures of radical state education in England, not only in the second half of the twentieth century when he did his most memorable work, but of the entire period of compulsory formal schooling. The period in which he worked as a headteacher (1945-1955) is relatively neglected; the kind of school he led (a secondary modern school) was, rightly, reviled by many of the comprehensive school pioneers; and the kind of education he advocated in his writing and exemplified in his practice (radical democratic schooling in the tradition of the European New Education movement) is the very antithesis of dominant models of state education to which we have been so destructively and ignorantly subjected for an entire generation. Yet Alex Bloom is one of only two heads of state secondary schools to be mentioned in W.A.C.Stewart's magnum opus The Educational Innovators - Volume II: Progressive Schools 1881-1967. His death on Tuesday 20 September, 1955 was reported the following day in The Times and his obituary which appeared on the Saturday talked of a remarkable man whose school, St George-in-the East, Stepney in the East End of London 'with its bomb ruins and overcrowded homes and tenements' had an international reputation as 'a great educational experiment' (The Times 1955).(1) Here is someone whose work significantly inspired one of the best known novels of the post-war generation (2) and one of the most important literary accounts of secondary teaching ever written in English. Here is someone whose work anticipates and still outreaches even the most creative periods of the comprehensive school movement that were to follow. Here is someone who took the democratic imperatives of lived
Article
The study explores how teachers use the ideas that pupils offer when consulted. Six teachers (two each in English, Maths and Science) and their Year 8 classes at three secondary schools were involved. The research was carried out in three stages. During the first stage the focus was on eliciting pupils’ ideas about classroom teaching and learning and teachers’ responses to their pupils’ ideas. Six pupils from each class were interviewed individually about each of three observed lessons. Transcripts of these interviews were fed back to the teachers. Teachers were interviewed about their reactions to them. During the second phase teachers’ use of pupil ideas was investigated and both the teachers’ and the target pupils’ evaluations of what happened were sought. In the third stage, each teacher was visited some six months later, in the following academic year, to explore how far the pupil ideas had had a lasting impact on the teachers’ practice and what use the teachers were making of pupil consultation. Our main findings were: (1) Pupils’ responses were characterised by a constructive focus on learning, consensus about what helps learning, and differences in articulacy; (2) Pupils agreed that interactive teaching for understanding, contextualising learning in appropriate ways, fostering a stronger sense of agency and ownership, and arranging social contexts amenable to collaborative learning were all helpful to the learning; (3) Teachers tended to respond positively and were reassured by the insightfulness of pupil ideas; (4) Teachers differed in what they did in response to pupils’ ideas. Three types of teacher reaction were identified: ‘short‐term responsiveness’, ‘growing confidence’, and ‘problems with using pupil consultation’. Some of the conclusions, based on evidence from the six teachers and their classes, are reassuring for teachers, others are perhaps less so. We construed them as ‘comfortable’ and ‘uncomfortable’ learnings.
Women and children first and last: parallels and differences between children's and women's studies
  • A Oakley
Oakley, A. (1994) Women and children first and last: parallels and differences between children's and women's studies, in: B. Mayal (Ed.) Children's childhoods: observed and experienced (London, Falmer Press), 13-32.
Graduate citizens? Issues of citizenship and higher education
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Ahier, J., Beck, J. & Moore, R. (2003) Graduate citizens? Issues of citizenship and higher education (London, RoutledgeFalmer).
Youth participation. Paper presented at the ACT and SE NSW Regional Youth Services Conference, Bateman's Bay
  • R Holdsworth
Holdsworth, R. (2001) Youth participation. Paper presented at the ACT and SE NSW Regional Youth Services Conference, Bateman's Bay, October.
Speaking out loud: girls seeking selfhood
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Judon, Q., Cohen-Dan, J., Leonard, T., Stinson, S., Colston, T., Cohen, J. & Brown, D. (2001) Speaking out loud: girls seeking selfhood, in: J. Shultz & A. Cook-Sather (Eds) In our own words: students' perspectives on school (New York, Rowan and Littlefield), 39-56.
The adolescent's way of life
  • H C Dent
Dent, H. C. (1939) The adolescent's way of life, The Hibbert Journal, A Quarterly Review of Religion, Theology, and Philosophy, XXXVII, 387-395.
The central place of student voice in democratic renewal: a Chilean case study, in, Learning democracy and citizenship: international experiences
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  • M Prieto
Fielding, M. & Prieto, M. (2002) The central place of student voice in democratic renewal: a Chilean case study, in, Learning democracy and citizenship: international experiences (Oxford, Symposium Books), 19-36.
Learning without limits (Cambridge
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Hart, S., Dixon, A., Drummond, M. J. & McIntyre, D. (2004) Learning without limits (Cambridge, Open University Press/McGraw-Hill Education).
Available online at: www.sussex.ac.uk/education/cei. Bloom, A. A. (1952) Learning through living Moral foundations of citizenship Available online at: www.sussex. ac.uk
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Bloom, A. A. (1948) Notes on a school community, New Era, 29(6), June, 120–121, Available online at: www.sussex.ac.uk/education/cei. Bloom, A. A. (1952) Learning through living, in: M. Alderton Pink (Ed.) Moral foundations of citizenship (London, London University Press), 135–143, Available online at: www.sussex. ac.uk/education/cei. Brice Heath, S. (2004) Risks, rules and roles, in: A. N. Perret-Clermont, C. Pontecorvo, L. B. Resnick, T. Zittoun & B. Burge (Eds) Joining society (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press), 41–70.
Education for citizenship and the teaching of democracy in school: final report of the advisory group on citizen ship education
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Crick, B. (1998) Education for citizenship and the teaching of democracy in school: final report of the advisory group on citizen ship education (Crick Report) (London, QCA).
Is this a good idea?' 'It's a great idea
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Mulliss, G. (2002) 'Is this a good idea?' 'It's a great idea.' Communicating (the newsletter of the Consulting Students about Teaching and Learning Project), 6, 2–3.
Choosing equality: the case for democratic schooling
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Bastian, A., Fruchter, N., Gittell, M., Greer, C. & Haskins, K. (1985) Choosing equality: the case for democratic schooling (New York, New World Foundation).
Power or influence: can educational journalists make a difference?
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Rowan, P. (1997) Power or influence: can educational journalists make a difference?, Education Today, 7-13.
Contesting childhood
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Wyness, M. G. (2000) Contesting childhood (London, Falmer Press).
Student voice, student engagement and school reform International handbook of student experience in elementary and secondary schools
  • J Rudduck
Rudduck, J. (2006) Student voice, student engagement and school reform, in: D. Thiessen & A. Cook-Sather (Eds) International handbook of student experience in elementary and secondary schools (Dordrecht, Kluwer Academic Publishers).
Education for all', 'achievement for all' and students who are 'too good to drift' (the second Harold Dent memorial lecture), Education Today
  • J Rudduck
Rudduck, J. (1999) 'Education for all', 'achievement for all' and students who are 'too good to drift' (the second Harold Dent memorial lecture), Education Today, 49(2), 3-11.
In our own words: students' perspectives on school
  • J Shultz
  • Cook
  • A Sather
Shultz, J. & Cook-Sather, A. (Eds) (2001) In our own words: students' perspectives on school (New York, Rowan and Littlefield).
The aim: an educated democracy, The Nineteenth Century and After, cvii
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Dent, H. C. (1930) The aim: an educated democracy, The Nineteenth Century and After, cvii, January, 10-16.
Now I stop and think before I do something stupid
  • J Finney
Finney, J. (2005) Now I stop and think before I do something stupid, in: J. Finney, R. Hickman, M. Morrison, B. Nicholl & J. Rudduck (Eds) Rebuilding engagement through the arts (Cambridge, Pearson Publishing), 56-72.
Listening to children think
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Hall, N. & Martello, J. (1996) Listening to children think (London, Hodder and Stoughton).
Student voice and the perils of popularity 229 Downloaded By: [Swets Content Distribution] At: 15:24 20 From teaching citizenship to learning democracy: overcoming individualism in research, policy and practice
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Risks, rules and roles Joining society (Cambridge
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Brice Heath, S. (2004) Risks, rules and roles, in: A. N. Perret-Clermont, C. Pontecorvo, L. B. Resnick, T. Zittoun & B. Burge (Eds) Joining society (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press), 41–70.
Learning through living
  • A A Bloom
Bloom, A. A. (1952) Learning through living, in: M. Alderton Pink (Ed.) Moral foundations of citizenship (London, London University Press), 135-143, Available online at: www.sussex. ac.uk/education/cei.
Notes on a school community
  • A A Bloom
Bloom, A. A. (1948) Notes on a school community, New Era, 29(6), June, 120-121, Available online at: www.sussex.ac.uk/education/cei.
Youth participation. Paper presented at the ACT and SE NSW Regional Youth Services Conference
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