Student Researchers Exploring Teaching and Learning: Process and Issues

This chapter outlines a careful and inclusive approach to researching student voice by having the students conduct the research. This goes well beyond a survey to gather evidence of students' engagement in school. By recruiting interested students and convincing others to participate, the research leaders attempt to create a representative team of students. These student researchers would co-construct the project, learn how to gather data, pose questions, test different methods and make adjustments to be inclusive, thorough and obtain the most accurate picture of the students' engagement.

Working on multiple levels - the purpose was to find out whether the student body would be more willing participants if the researchers were students rather than staff, and the nature of the study gave the student researchers valuable data about the participants levels of engagement in the school. Many opportunities for learning and collaborations occurred. The research leaders would not likely have had the same depth of response had they not invited the student researchers to co-construct the project.

Using audio recording the rather than having the students write their responses gave more opportunity for everyone to contribute, as many students are not as comfortable or able to articulate their ideas fully in writing. The student researchers learned how important it was to listen to everyone's voice. They learned that, aside from their initial assumptions, If they didn't ask everybody, they might miss something important. This is significant. 

As of the time of writing the project had not been completed. I would be very curious to learn what recommendations would be made after analyzing the data. Who will make them? What action will be taken? Will school policies and/or practices be transformed as a result of the needs/ideas of the students? The follow-through will be a crucial element in this project in order to retain student trust and, especially because of the nature of the study, continued or greater student engagement. 

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