ABSTRACT
Chapter 7, ‘Disaffected Young People, Relationships with School Staff and Student Voice’, gives an overview of the relevant previous research relating to the nature of relationships between teachers and other school staff and pupils and the impact of these on student voice. It also reviews how disaffected learners have been reengaged in other contexts before going on to further consider student voice and its impact on educational outcomes. The chapter concludes that for teachers and students to exist on a truly equal level is unlikely to be an achievable goal even if it was desirable. However, ample evidence is given to demonstrate that there are advantages for both parties for greater importance to be given to student voice. The creation of democratic structures that mirror liberal democratic representation is important but not sufficient on its own, and the development of teacher–student relationships that give appropriate weight to student agency allow students to take some ownership of the nature of their education.
