THE DUAL PRESENCE OF PROMISE AND INEQUITY: A PRAGMATIC INQUIRY INTO HOW HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS PERCEIVE THEIR VOICE

Abstract

In the present study, I attempted to understand how students perceive their voice in the 2900 student public high school where I serve as principal. The study is a qualitative inquiry that combines human-centered design and action research for its conceptual framework. My dual roles of researcher and principal influenced every aspect of this project, from its initial imagination all the way to the construction of this dissertation. Data on how students perceive their voice at Valley View High School (VVHS) were collected via focus groups, interviews, surveys, and specific student voice initiatives directly involving a total of 31 students. Participants were diverse by race, age, and gender. A schoolwide student survey and crowdsourced innovation event provide contextual insights. Across the data sets, participants’ deep interest in having their voice heard was apparent, as was their belief that their voice improves the school. Inequitable perceptions of who was heard were also consistently found. These two findings combine to create what is referred to here as the “dual presence of promise and inequity.” Additional specific findings include students’ interest in having a voice in the classroom, crowdsourcing as an effective student voice strategy, and the importance of follow-through from adults following student voice experiences. The dissertation concludes with a discussion of how the dual presence of a belief in the promise of student voice and inequitable experiences can be navigated. Recommended work areas within this dual presence are disrupting whose voice is (and is not) at the table, intentional creation of opportunities for student voice, creating and supporting a culture of student voice, and following through on our commitments. Recommendations for further study are in the areas of adult perception of student voice, specific student voice strategies at the classroom level, and, more specifically, Black or African American and Hispanic/Latino student voice experiences in the classroom. Future actions will be taken within the same conceptual framework of the present study, which is based on an iterative relationship between action and investigation.