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When undertaking research with young people in educational contexts researchers are likely to encounter many challenges. This paper is a discussion of the barriers encountered by a researcher who sought to capture the educational journeys of excluded young people. The study aimed to move beyond young people simply participating in research to develop innovative and creative research methods to empower them to share their stories. Whilst there is increased recognition of the need to listen to the voices of young people, adults need to be willing to hear. This paper will include a reflection of the role adults can play in silencing the voices of young people. There will be a particular focus on the ethical dilemma's encountered specifically the role of gatekeepers, location of the study, whose voices are being heard and the role of the researcher. Young people have a desire to be heard, although researchers can seek to provide space for stories to be shared, they need to acknowledge the 'messiness' that comes with voice research and to be reflexive in their accounts of the research process. This paper will offer a reflection of the lessons learnt on a journey into the realm of pupil voice.

For decades, the school exclusion rates have been a cause for concern within the English education system. We have witnessed a steady increase in the numbers of pupils being excluded since 2012. Evidence suggests that some children are more likely to be excluded from school, a significant number will have had the social, emotional and behavioural difficulties label attached to them. This article will draw on the work of Parsons and Howlett (Permanent exclusions from school: A case where society is failing its children. Support for Learning, 11, 3, 109-112, 1996) to see how much, if any, progress has been made since the publication of their work which raised concerns regarding the exclusion processes employed in England. Drawing on the perspectives of pupils, parents and teachers, 13 in-depth case studies were developed, with emphasis placed on employing innovative and creative methods to hear the voices of young people. The findings revealed that young people, their parents and teachers feel the current education system continues to fail this group of young people.

Young people whose behaviour does not conform to our expectations of how pupils should behave within an educational context have had a variety of labels attached to them including: Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties (SEBD), and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The employment of such labels will shape how the young person is perceived by the adults surrounding them. This will not only have an impact on the relationships that are developed between the pupil and the educator but also how the young people see themselves in terms of their own identity. This paper seeks to give voice and explore the position of young people within the confines of their educational experiences. The paper draws on 13 in-depth case studies to reflect on how young people experience the SEBD labels attached to them by others and what pupils consider to be the main antecedents leading them to display behaviour which is deemed unacceptable in the classroom. The paper highlights the importance of providing opportunities for young people to have their voice heard to fill the gap between professional perceptions and those of the pupil. In order to truly understand why young people display behaviour that is considered difficult and how they experience the labels we attach to them we have to speak to young people themselves.

When undertaking research with young people in educational contexts researchers are likely to encounter many challenges. This paper is a discussion of the barriers encountered by a researcher who sought to capture the educational journeys of excluded young people. The study aimed to move beyond young people simply participating in research to develop innovative and creative research methods to empower them to share their stories. Whilst there is increased recognition of the need to listen to the voices of young people, adults need to be willing to hear. This paper will include a reflection of the role adults can play in silencing the voices of young people. There will be a particular focus on the ethical dilemma's encountered specifically the role of gatekeepers, location of the study, whose voices are being heard and the role of the researcher. Young people have a desire to be heard, although researchers can seek to provide space for stories to be shared, they need to acknowledge the 'messiness' that comes with voice research and to be reflexive in their accounts of the research process. This paper will offer a reflection of the lessons learnt on a journey into the realm of pupil voice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]