The inclusion of marginalised students in regular schools is fundamental to achieving “Education for All”. In this research, a systematic review was conducted to examine what students at risk in education have said that could improve their inclusion in mainstream schools. The 37 studies from 10 different countries included in this qualitative evidence synthesis (QES) represent 450+ (n=178 Female, n=154 male and n = 118+ not identified) voices of students aged 9- 18 years, students perceived to be at risk of underachievement, marginalisation or disconnection from school.

Articles 12 and 13 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child legally and ethically establish the need for educational policy makers and practitioners to ensure the voices of children contribute to educational decision making (UN General Assembly, 1989) The practical delivery of these rights does, however, require issues of power and the imbalance of power within education systems to be addressed .

Whilst the balance of decision making power between teachers and students will never be equal, the creation of environments that include the voices of young people, particularly the views of those who are at risk of, or disconnecting from school, can guide practitioners and policy makers toward better ways of including all children. Listening to student views promotes opportunity for adults to respond to learner diversity, yet the extent to what we should listen to students about and why continues to be contentious. In schools listening is often focussed on what adults want to hear from students, the focus sometimes tends to ignore the critical insights of students.

The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic (QES) of what students at potential risk of underachievement, marginalisation or disconnection from school have collectively shared that could improve the inclusion of all students in regular/mainstream schools. The following questions guided the search and analysis of the literature; (a) what do these students say contributes to their disconnection or exclusion from school? and (b) what do they collectively say schools/systems should do to enable their inclusion in mainstream schools?

This (QES) was conducted using the Cochrane Qualitative and Implementation Methods Group (QIMG) practical guidance and key steps for authors undertaking qualitative evidence synthesis. An initial iterative scoping review established search terms, selected databases, determined appropriate inclusion and exclusion criteria for the study and was used to finalise research questions and data extraction. Data included perspectives of students aged between 6 and 18 years, attending, had or were intending to attend, a general inclusive school (or equivalent within their home country) with same age peers for all or part of a school day. A three-stage process of thematic synthesis was used to analyse the data in each included study. Studies were subject to five separate quality assessments as per the Cochrane QIMG guidance. Initially, an assessment of methodological strengths and limitations of each included study was undertaken using recommendations adapted from Noyes et al (2019) and Alvesson and Skӧldberg (2009). Then, each study was subject to an assessment of data adequacy following the three-step process outlined by Glenton et al, 2018. Thirdly, an assessment of data coherence was undertaken using the three-step process outlined by Colvin et al, 2018. Subsequently, data obtained from each study was assessed for relevance using the five-step process outlined by Noyes et al, 2018b. Finally, an assessment of the overall confidence in the findings was undertaken using the GRADE CERQual technique. Not all students in the included studies had educational experiences of underachievement, marginalisation or disconnection form school. Student who had these experiences expressed a broad range of emotional responses. Anxiety and fear, loneliness feeling judged, feeling misunderstood, feeling unworthy, feeling overlooked and becoming physically, mentally and emotionally drained were not uncommon. Analysis of the studies overwhelmingly indicated students say they experience underachievement, marginalisation or disconnection from schools due to the perceptions, attitudes and actions of others (individuals, groups, systems or the community). Conversely, student perspectives provided insight into what educators should do to help them feel included. Four core themes with a range of sub themes emerged from the data. Theme 1: Know who I am and what I need. Theme 2: Access to academic supports and learning are central to me feeling included, how and when that support is provided will determine its success or failure. Theme 3: Relationships are critical to my sense of inclusion. Theme 4: School structure and culture help or hinder my sense of inclusion.

Results of the study can be utilised to continue to understand and explore the question of what should we listen to students about and why? Students wanting others to know who they are and understand what they need, was by far the most dominant theme and accounted for just over forty percent of the extracted data. There was a sense that when young people experience understanding, empathy and connection in which others openly show recognition of their whole self they feel included. There were five subthemes. ‘Students said they want others to first be responsive to, and respectful of their emotions; to show them empathy and recognise them as individuals with capabilities; to understand their needs and adjust for them; to provide them with some control; and finally respond to them in the context of their life beyond school. Although data suggests students being understood and seen for who they are as people is of primary importance to a student’s sense of connection, belonging and inclusion in school; teachers, educators and policymakers are more inclined to focus time on the other elements of the educational experience such as academic supports, school structures and relationships as they fit more neatly with the outcomes desired by adults. Outcomes of this study suggest that to become more inclusive teachers, schools and policy makers may need to reprioritise how and what we listen to students about to ensure that student emotions, showing empathy, understanding individual capabilities and responding to students more holistically in the context of their lives is prioritised alongside academic, structural and other relational supports. Further research with students to better understand how to respond to these needs is required.

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