ABSTRACT
The pertinent issues with respect to mainstream Irish schools which provided the impetus for this study include: the policy of inclusion; challenging behaviour; ‘pupil voice’; and emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD) in children. Encounterswith a number of children inmainstreameducation experiencing palpable unhappiness, despair and struggle, instigated a need to understand what could address their difficulties and led to the initiation of this research study. Most of the children who fell into that category had one ormore of the array of difficulties encompassedwithin EBD. The overriding objective of this pupil voice research (PVR) from the outset has been to determine the impact on a sample group of participating pupils with EBD when their voices are listened to and they are encouraged to become ‘active agents’ in transforming their experience of school.
