“Making Bad”: The Construction of “Students” Through Suspension Policy to Practice

• In Event: Roundtable Session 2
  In Roundtable Session: Constructing Student Identities in Policy Contexts

Abstract

In this study, I use sociocultural theory to examine the complex interaction between educational policy documents regarding school suspension, teachers’ interpretations of policy, and the effects of policy on school practices. In schools, policy operates “as a practice of power” (Levinson & Sutton, 2001, p. 1) that potentially determines who remains, who drops out, and who can access education later in life. This study consisted of critical discourse analysis (Fairclough, 2003) of suspension policies at the district level, and active interviews with educators and representatives of one alternative to suspension program in City, BC. Preliminary findings provide insight into how interpretations of suspension policies influence how students are perceived and the kinds of options made available to these students.

Author

• Renira Elyodi Vellos, The University of British Columbia