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Vocational Education and Training (VET) students experiencing mental illness have been described as one of the most vulnerable student groups in the Australian post-secondary sector. This vulnerability can be attributed to the impacts of illness, the oft-reported experiences of stigma and discrimination, and low educational outcomes. There is increased pressure for researchers and policy- makers to listen to the voices of the most disadvantaged learners to aid design and delivery of the Australian VET system, yet little knowledge exists in the sector about how this could and should occur. This paper critically reflects on some of the ethical issues and methodological challenges recently encountered in our research with VET students experiencing mental illness. Through rich description of our strategies for student recruitment and managing participant vulnerability, we aim to contribute to the literature informing qualitative research with VET students experiencing mental health issues. This is a timely contribution to the current debate on strategies designed to listen to the voice of the disadvantaged learner in order to inform teaching and learning and achieve better student outcomes.

This paper reports findings from a 12-month Australian study exploring beliefs and experiences of disclosure and course success in post-compulsory education for 20 students with mental illness. Enrolled students with disclosed or non-disclosed mental illness, teaching and support staff, and institutional practices across four sites providing vocational education and training were the three cases selected for this collective case study. Students participated in two semi-structured interviews over the course of one academic year. Disclosure was not preferred by students, most fearing that it would negatively impact upon their capacity to obtain employment in the occupation for which they were training. Further research exploring the processes, timing and outcomes of disclosure, in a wide range of post-secondary settings and with larger numbers of students, would allow for a deeper exploration of issues raised by this small study.

This article reports findings from a qualitative case study, as part of which staff perspectives of student disclosure of mental health issues in an Australian post-secondary vocational education setting were explored. Twenty teaching and specialist support staff from four vocational education and training institutions participated in individual semi-structured interviews. Institutional policies and practices related to the management of disability at each site provided contextual information relevant to the staff experience. All data were analysed thematically. Staff participants strongly supported student disclosure of mental health issues. Staff linked the likelihood of course success for students experiencing mental illness with disclosure and the implementation of educational supports. Findings draw attention to subtle differences in constructions of student disclosure reported by the specialist support staff and the teachers: differences in perspective which were consistent across locations. This study highlights the influence of personal experience of mental illness and institutional processes for educational adjustment on staff perspectives of student disclosure. Implications of the current practices in post-secondary education student support services are discussed. Further research on disclosure beliefs among teachers and specialist support staff, in a wider range of educational settings, would allow for a deeper exploration of issues raised by this study.