Young people’s experiences with flexible and inclusive education in Australia: a review of the literature

In education discourse, student retention and Grade 12 or equivalent attainment are considered strong predictors for young people’s future workforce participation, economic prosperity and wellbeing. However, not all students are well supported in mainstream education, with an increasing number of youths becoming disenfranchised with the schooling system. Flexible and inclusive learning programs are developing as an alternative option for young people to access secondary education in Australia. To better understand young people’s experiences of engaging with these emerging alternatives to mainstream schooling, a review of current empirical literature was undertaken. Focusing on students’ perspectives on learning in flexible and inclusive education environments, 28 qualitative studies met the inclusion criteria for this review. These studies captured the voices of young people as they navigated and experienced learning in these non-conventional education programs. The findings documented in the sample studies emphasised the value of providing holistic learning experiences, which integrate relational and interest-based pedagogies with personalised socio-emotional support. Cultivating communities of learners, characterised by positive relationships and a sense of belonging amongst students was also highlighted as being valuable for student engagement and learning. This synthesis contributes to the literature about learning and teaching in flexible and inclusive schooling and highlights new possibilities for student engagement across all education environments.