Amplifying students’ and youth’s voices in education research

When trying to figure out a solution to a problem, wouldn’t you involve in the process those affected by the issue?

For the longest time, education research didn’t —the voices of those most affected by educational disparities and inequities were not part of the solution to the very issues which they faced. By including students’ and youth’s perspectives, education researchers can now begin to identify and understand the issues that pervade students’ contexts under a more nuanced light, and thus, embrace the notion that students and youth are not passive recipients of change, but rightful architects of the solutions to the critical challenges affecting them.

This edited volume aims to showcase the value that can be created by amplifying marginalized and minoritized students’ and youth’s voices, and examining their experiences through various qualitative methods. The chapters in this volume include projects conducted in different settings and countries and address important issues concerning students and youth, including post-secondary education, special education, learning disabilities, the juvenile justice system, among others.

This volume is for you if you are interested in equity and education research and it will serve you as a reference for research that has actively and consciously included student and youth voices. Whether it be through instruction, research or policy, this volume aims to inspire you to put in motion the work that remains to be done, so that we can provide all students and youth, regardless of their characteristics and context, with the specific resources they need to thrive in their personal and academic journeys.

Dr. Erika Abarca Millán Senior Research Associate at the Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools. Before this, she was a postdoctoral researcher at the Center for Advanced Research in Education at the University of Chile. She has a PhD in Education with concentration in Language, Literacy and Culture from the University of Pittsburgh, and an MA in Applied Second Language Acquisition. She has been an educator for 15+ years, has authored several peer-reviewed articles, and has active participation in international conferences (such as AERA) as presenter, reviewer and chair. She also serves as a reviewer in several important journals and is part of the editorial board at the 'Humanities and Social Sciences Communications' journal.

Qualitative research, mixed methods research, BIPOC research, students with special needs, juvenile justice system, neurodiversity, higher education, college, mentoring, advising, vocational track, learning disabilities, podcasting, counterstorytelling, narratives, education policy, minority students, counter-narratives, testimonios