Amplifying silenced voices: Exploring the intersection of agency, representation, and power in research

Introduction

This contribution is the result of a collaborative effort between two PhD projects carried out in different European contexts, one primary school in Spain, and informal learning spaces for displaced young people in England. 

Goals & methods

The authors' aim is not only to share empirical insights, but also to reflect on the epistemological underpinnings of qualitative research. Both studies adopt an ethnographic approach, using participatory, visual and arts-based methodologies that challenge traditional notions of the researcher-researched divide, engaging children and young migrants with and without disabilities as co-researchers. This positioning raises questions about power redistribution and the ethics of representation in research.

Results

Grounded in theoretical frameworks of critical pedagogy and inclusive education, the analysis of the results is guided by principles that foreground social justice, participation and the recognition of difference. By bringing the two projects into dialogue, the authors integrate various research findings across national, institutional and social contexts. This comparative perspective allows them to identify both convergences and specificities in how belonging, difference, aspirations and exclusion are experienced, narrated and visually represented by participants. In doing so, the authors highlight how emerging paradigms in qualitative research, particularly participatory visual methods, open new ways of accessing, representing, and valuing the lived experiences of those often marginalised in education.

Conclusions

The participants’ views, thoughts and reflections on their own lived experiences, successes and struggles are shaped by intersectional issues, as well as by their individual histories, cultures and identities. Listening to these voices, in both school and informal learning environments, reveals implications for teaching practices, community building and educational policy.