The danger of subverting students’ views in schools

This paper is firmly grounded in the position that engaging with students’ voices in schools is central to the development of inclusive practices. It explores the tensions that can be created when efforts are made to engage with students’ voices in relation to their experiences of learning and teaching. An example from a three-year research and development project, which worked alongside teachers to use students’ voices as a way of developing inclusive practices, is used to illustrate these tensions. This project, though showing that students’ voices can be a powerful means for understanding learning and teaching in schools, also encountered challenges with these processes. This paper focuses on the experiences of one secondary school which (possibly inadvertently) subverted and undermined students’ voice initiatives and explores the potential negative impacts of this on individual students, on students as a whole, and on teacher development. By doing this, suggestions as to how such tensions can be avoided in schools are offered, with the aim being to allow a genuine engagement with the views of students

UALTC2009 Inclusion of all Students at the University Level

Abstract submitted to the Annual Learning and Teaching Conference 2009. Paper was delivered as a Presentation under the Flexible Delivery Theme

Contar con las voces del alumnado de primaria para promover la educación inclusiva

This paper argues for the need to engage with the views of children in primary schools as a way of promoting inclusive education.  One example from one primary school, where the views of children were explored in order to develop further the school’s practices, will be used to illustrate this argument. Methodological considerations, the benefits as well as the challenges associated with the process will be discussed.Este artículo aboga por la necesidad de comprometerse con los puntos de vista de los niños en las escuelas primarias como una forma de promover la educación inclusiva. Un ejemplo de una escuela primaria, donde se exploraron las opiniones de los niños para desarrollar aún más las prácticas de la escuela, se utilizará para ilustrar este argumento. Se discutirán las consideraciones metodológicas, los beneficios y los desafíos asociados con el proces

Student diversity and student voice conceptualisations in five European countries: Implications for including all students in schools

This article analyses the ways in which notions of student diversity and student voice are defined in five European countries, two terms directly related to notions of inclusion. In so doing, it examines links between the two terms, noting that, often, they are used in international research without acknowledging the ways that they are defined within particular national contexts. Using literature and policy documents from five countries (i.e. Austria, Denmark, England, Portugal and Spain), the article highlights similarities as well as differences in the various contexts. Through the analysis of these texts, the paper concludes that diversity is conceptualised in five ways, although there is occasionally overlap of different conceptualisations in some of the countries. Meanwhile, the term 'student voice' is a term that is not used in some of the countries' policies. Instead, other terms that relate to student voice, such as 'participation', are used. The paper discusses the implications of these varied understandings for the promotion of the inclusion of all students in schools.Erasmus+ Key Action 2, School Education Strategic Partnerships 2017-1-UK01-KA201-036665info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Student diversity and student voice conceptualisations in five European countries: Implications for including all students in schools

This article analyses the ways in which notions of student diversity and student voice are defined in five European countries, two terms directly related to notions of inclusion. In so doing, it examines links between the two terms, noting that, often, they are used in international research without acknowledging the ways that they are defined within particular national contexts. Using literature and policy documents from five countries (i.e. Austria, Denmark, England, Portugal and Spain), the article highlights similarities as well as differences in the various contexts. Through the analysis of these texts, the paper concludes that diversity is conceptualised in five ways, although there is occasionally overlap of different conceptualisations in some of the countries. Meanwhile, the term ‘student voice’ is a term that is not used in some of the countries’ policies. Instead, other terms that relate to student voice, such as ‘participation’, are used. The paper discusses the implications of these varied understandings for the promotion of the inclusion of all students in schools

Collaborating with children in exploring marginalisation: an approach to inclusive education

This article focuses on the importance of engaging with children's voices in school settings in order to understand and deal with marginalisation. Engaging with the views of children and young people is an essential part of the process of developing inclusion. It can be viewed as an approach to inclusive education, which predominantly places emphasis on the views of the learners rather than on other organisational aspects within a school context. The study reported here is from a collaborative piece of research in one primary school classroom where practitioners, children and the researcher worked together in order to identify areas of concern within the particular context, in order to address marginalisation. The benefits, as well as the complexities of engaging in such processes are discussed. Furthermore, the study has led to the development of a framework for promoting inclusion that is presented here. The framework can be used to guide a systematic way of collecting evidence that will facilitate the process of understanding and dealing with marginalisation, and promoting inclusion, that can be incorporated into the daily work of practitioners.<br/

Understanding marginalisation in education: the voice of children

his paper illustrates how conversations with children can enhance thinking and practice in relation to the development of inclusive education. In particular, evidence from research carried out in a primary school in Cyprus is used to throw light on notions of marginalisation. The study suggests that marginalisation can be conceptualised in four ways: when a child is experiencing some kind of marginalisation that is recognised almost by everybody, including himself/herself; when a child is feeling that he/she is experiencing marginalisation, whereas others do not recognise this: when a child is found in what appears to be marginalised situations but does not view this as marginalisation; and, finally, when a child appears to experience marginalisation but does not recognise this. The paper concludes that children’s voices should not only be used as a strategy for understanding and developing more inclusive practices, but more importantly that listening to children is itself a manifestation of being inclusive.<br/

Using primary school children’s voices to promote inclusive education

Este artículo aboga por la necesidad de comprometerse con los puntos de vista de los niños en las escuelas primarias como una forma de promover la educación inclusiva. Un ejemplo de una escuela primaria, donde se exploraron las opiniones de los niños para desarrollar aún más las prácticas de la escuela, se utilizará para ilustrar este argumento. Se discutirán las consideraciones metodológicas, los beneficios y los desafíos asociados con el procesoThis paper argues for the need to engage with the views of children in primary schools as a way of promoting inclusive education.  One example from one primary school, where the views of children were explored in order to develop further the school’s practices, will be used to illustrate this argument. Methodological considerations, the benefits as well as the challenges associated with the process will be discussed