Connecting students and researchers: the secondary school student’s voice in foreign language education research

Figures & data

Table 1. Selection of typologies focusing on secondary education identifying three perspectives of student voice inclusion.

	Hart (1992)	Lee and Zimmerman (1999)	Holdsworth (2000)	Fielding (2001)	Lodge (2005)
Perspective 1: Learners as data source	Manipulation;	Passive (information source)	‘Speaking out’;	Students as data source	Quality control;
	Decoration;		Being heard;		Students as a source of information;
	Tokenism;		Being listened to;		Compliance and control
	Assigned but informed		Being listened to seriously with respect
Perspective 2: Learners in dialogue	Consulted and informed	Active (participant)	Incorporating view into action taken by others	Students as active respondents	Dialogic
	Adult-initiated, shared decisions with children		Shared decision-making, implementation of action & reflection with young people	Students as co-researchers
Perspective 3: Learners as initiators	Child-initiated and directed; Child-initiated, shared decisions with adults	Directive (designer)		Students as researchers (initiators)

Table 2. Number of students participating in research activities per school.

School	Teacher	Written account & unguided focus group	Single open question survey
A	A	4	29
B	B	4	32
C	C	–	199

Figure 1. Dialogical procedure of including student voice in the development of the Comprehensive Approach.

Table 3. Initial and Adapted Comprehensive Approach to foreign language-literature teaching and learning model.

	Initial Model	Adapted Model
Text approach	Literary terminology	1. Literary terminology
	Recognising text types Distinguishing text types	2. Literary text types
	Storyline	3. Story, plot and themes
	Who, what and where Character development	4. Setting (role of time and place)
		5. Characters
Context approach	Biographical aspects of a literary work	6. Biographical information
	Information about the author
	Historical aspects of a literary work Cultural aspects of a literary work Social and societal aspects of a literary work	7. Historical, cultural and social context
	Overview of literary history Literary periods and history	8. English literary history
Reader approach	Students’ personal reaction Critical report of reading experiences	9. Personal reading experiences
	Reading pleasure	10. Literary reading taste
	Critical thinking skills	11. Critical thinking skills and personal development
Language approach	English linguistic aspects in a literary text	12. English grammar and syntax
	English vocabulary in a literary text	13. English vocabulary and idioms
	Making reading miles to improve language skills	14. English language skills (reading, listening, speaking, writing)
		15. Language development and variety

Figure 2. Comprehensive Approach to foreign language-literature teaching and learning model.

Figure 3. Example of student output of a written reflective account at School B.

Figure 4. Example of student output after Unguided Focus Group 1 at School A.

Figure 5. Example of answers of one student regarding the single open question survey.

Hart, R. (1992). Children’s participation: The theory and practice of involving young citizens in community development and environmental care. London: Earthscan Publications Ltd with UNICEF.

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Lee, L., & Zimmerman, M. (1999). A new vision for student voice. Education Canada, 39(2), 34–35.

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Holdsworth, R. (2000). Schools that create real roles of value for young people. Prospects, 30(3), 349–362.

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Fielding, M. (2001). Students as radical agents of change. Journal of Educational Change, 2, 123–141.

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Lodge, C. (2005). From hearing voices to engaging in dialogue: Problematising student participation in school improvement. Journal of Educational Change, 6, 125–146.

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