Where are the Students in Student Voice? Challenging Dominant Epistemologies in Student Voice Discourses

Abstract

The following master’s thesis explores how adult researchers and practitioners'defining, framing, and implementation of student voice may have contributed to the positioning of secondary school students in education policy and leadership. Key research questions addressed whether or not there is a disconnect in how researchers, practitioners, and students define student voice, as well as considering if the term, “student voice,” positions the role of students in educational decision making. The key themes that emerged from the content analysis include: Disconnect between student and adult stakeholders; aspirations of students within student voice; and students as spectacles. Findings suggest that the majority of student voice research literature frames student voice as a process that only occurs in a class and school setting. Student discourses, in contrast, understand student voice as a democratic process occurring in the state and federal policymaking arena, and view themselves as key decision makers.