Abstract:

While the topic of student voice has become central in educational discourse, it is important that this is not merely tokenistic and has the potential to impact real change. This study focuses on the views of children, all of whom had the label of dyslexia. They all attended a special reading school in Ireland. The aim of the research was to listen to their views and to allow these voices to influence policy and practice. There were six children involved and focus groups were used on two occasions to elicit their perspectives. Braun and Clarke’s Model of analysis (2006) was used to analyse the “expert” views of the children and the findings build on previous research in this key area. It was found that the students’ self-esteem, confidence and self-efficacy was indeed higher in the special setting when compared with the children’s experiences of mainstream schools. The issue of bullying in mainstream education was raised along the imperative of positive relationships as well as a positive school environment. The study points to the importance of listening to children on matters which affect them and highlights the question as to whether they should be included further in educational matters.

Keywords:

Dyslexia, affective issues, special school, student voice.