Student voice at the ‘heart of learning’

What, if anything, can listening to student voice
tell us about young people’s perception of
their educational experiences today? Is it important
or even relevant to take note of their views?
Is it realistic to expect the student with limited
experiences and resources to make the changes
required by their institutions? This paper describes
the experiences and approaches used in one
London inner-city Learning Support Unit to engage
and support students with social, emotional and
behavioural difficulties. Drawing on the work of
Foucault’s 1983 lectures on ‘Discourse and truth’,
‘student voice’, Ginott’s congruent conversation
techniques and the use of story and metaphor,
the paper seeks to illustrate and explore the use
of these different techniques and approaches to
assist students to make sense of the situations
they face.