In search of voice: theory and methods in K-12 student voice research in the US, 1990–2010

Abstract

Student voice research is a promising field of study that disrupts traditional student roles by reorganizing learning spaces that center youth voices. This review synthesizes student voice research by answering the following questions: (a) To what extent has student voice been studied at the K-12 levels in the US? (b) What are the conceptual characteristics of US student voice studies? (c) What are the methodological characteristics of this work at K-12 levels in the US? The review included 49 studies published in peer-refereed journals between 1990 and 2010. Results indicate student voice research is rapidly opening up spaces and capacities for racial and ethnic historically marginalized youth to play key roles in school change and hybrid learning spaces. The results open up new possibilities for building on this rapidly growing scholarship through interdisciplinary theory building, along with a need for broader attention to axes of marginalization across different geographical spaces.