ABSTRACT
Engaging with pupils involves listening to pupils about issues that matter to them and that affect their experiences in school. This chapter focuses on outlining ways in which adults in schools can engage with pupils, and the benefits of this for both teachers and pupils. According to J. Flutter and J. Rudduck, ‘pupil participation’ implies the inclusion of pupils within a community in which they are respected contributors and have an active and direct involvement in school matters. Pupil engagement can also take the form of pupils taking on roles as pupil governors and participating in management committees. As well as pupils being listened to verbally, they can also ‘voice’ their opinions through nonverbal means. Creating listening classrooms can support teachers to identify factors that help pupils’ learning and enjoyment of learning, as well as to identify factors that create barriers to learning and that lead to negative school experiences.
