Giving voice: an analysis of EU student discourses on migration and education

This study aims to contribute to the debate and the literature on the language of migration in the context of education and the associated role of students in shaping related curriculum and assessment. It has arisen from the EU-funded 'ALIEN Project' which aims to contribute to greater equity and social cohesion within Europe.

Using semi-structured interviews from seven student participants from Greece, Poland and Scotland, the research focuses on student perceptions of migration prior to and after their project; the effect on their first-hand exposure to issues around migration in education; and their experience of selecting their own assignment focus in order to produce a module on migration for Higher Education. Their work to dispel myths around migration comprises three strands: Media representation of the migrant experience; phenomenological learning; and case studies which highlight the migrant experience.

The participant data was analysed with the tools of critical discourse analysis to examine their awareness of and response to the language around migration in education. The research found that the students involved in the Project negotiated conflicting discourses from NGOs, the media and education policy as they worked to develop a new understanding of and response to the language of migration in education through innovative learning and teaching activities.
Its findings raise issues for practitioners working within the field of migrant education, specifically how to support students in negotiating and developing an understanding of such language and the ways in which these issues are portrayed by the media.