Traditional approaches to goal setting in education often overlook the perspectives of autistic students, despite research highlighting the benefits of self-determination and personalised planning. This study adopts a participatory research design, engaging autistic Year 10 students as co-researchers to explore their aspirations and co-design goal-setting frameworks that align with their strengths and needs. Conducted at an independent P-10 school for autistic students, this mixed-methods study integrates student-led vision boards, focus groups, qualitative surveys and the Adolescent/Adult Goal Setting Tool (AAGST, Autism Queensland) to examine students’ experiences and perspectives on transition planning.
Participatory action research recognises the strengths and lived experiences of autistic students to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of goal setting and take a more democratic approach to addressing the research problem. In doing so, this study explores how student involvement enhances engagement, confidence and agency in their goal-setting process, while also informing educators and families about meaningful, student-driven transition strategies. Anticipated outcomes include insights into students’ aspirations, the role of co-research in fostering motivation and ownership and recommendations for embedding student voice in transition planning.
This study contributes to the growing body of research advocating for participatory methodologies in educational research, particularly within autism-specific contexts. Embedding student voice in transition planning is likely to lead to more personalised and effective goal-setting strategies. Furthermore, the study also reinforces the importance of fostering collaborative research environments where autistic students actively shape the discourse surrounding their educational and vocational futures. By positioning students as co-researchers, this project aims to highlight the importance of inclusive research methodologies that prioritise lived experience and self-determined goal setting.