This presentation draws on a selection of autobiographical narratives, vignettes and photographic data to centre the importance of stakeholder voice in the development of more actionable policies for implementing inclusive and democratic educational reform. These artefacts--taken from different studies conducted in the United States (US) and Denmark (DK)--are used to explore the power of reframing practices (Lakoff, 2014) in addressing the challenges that can hinder both the researcher and the research participants when policies fail. Examining how autobiographical storytelling and “narrative turns” (Bruner, 2004) relate to identity development for adolescents in suburban Denmark helps to demonstrate the power of diverse narratives in generating deeper insights into the dynamics of inclusion and related indicators of inclusion (Bronfenbrenner, 2005; FJOrDSIDE, 2014; Thuesen et al., 2014; Wenger, 2001). The use of arts-based, qualitative research (Eisner, 2002; Greene, 2011) as a means to enhance critical thinking and innovative collaborations, when used with reframing practices, is explored in the context of teacher education and policy reform in the US. Reorganising educational activity systems to centre and to include diversity wholly, particularly on the basis of race and [dis]ability (Annamma, Connor, & Ferri, 2013), is examined by deconstructing the researcher’s gaze within the US juvenile justice system. In combination, these studies demonstrate the value of framing and reframing problems that hinder the implementation of democratic and inclusive forms of education (Dewey & Rogers, 2012; Skrtic, Sailor, & Gee, 1996). This presentation seeks to centre the needs of diverse publics, particularly those of children and youth from historically marginalised communities, to redress how they become eclipsed in technocratic and market-driven models of educational reform.

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