Student Participation in School Life: The “Student Voice” and Mitigated Democracy/Sudjelovanje učenika u životu škole: “učenički glas” i ublažena demokracija

Abstract

Student participation in school life may be considered from the points of view of diverse theoretical frameworks that question different educational aspects related to such social involvement. Issues such as the construction of a democratic school, education for citizenship, active learning and student-centred education may be addressed when the object of one's study focuses on student participation. In the present study, we sought to learn how student participation is promoted in a given set of schools, and what class representatives, students' legal representatives, have to say about it. Data collection was performed by means of a self-description guide characterizing school practices with regard to students' participation and a semi-structured questionnaire administered to the class representatives and vice representatives. The participation described in the guide we have analysed involves mostly one representative type and reveals what is statutorily established. According to the representatives who participated in the study, the role of a student representative is not yet sufficiently valued by the school and by educational actors, namely by their constituents. Hence, it may be concluded that there is mitigated democracy present in the current education system.

Digital technology and practices for school improvement: innovative digital school model

“…media and environment teams) or pupils as guides in using digital technology. Various participatory practices presume seeing pupils in an active role in the classroom or at school, not only as objects of teaching during lessons (Facer 2012 ; Kehoe 2015 ; Pereira et al 2014 ).…”

Open Classes and Participation in Decision-making in Class

“…School is a place where children encounter a democratic way of life and learn democracy directly through their experience (see Pereira, Mouraz, & Figueiredo, 2014). Participation is the key to independent learning.…”

Education Policy Implementation from the Perspective of Pupils and Students with Disabilities / Provedba obrazovne politike iz perspektive učenika s teškoćama u razvoju i studenata s invaliditetom

“…The main purpose of the participation of pupils and students with disabilities is to ensure that attention and consideration is paid to their views, ideas, needs and issues they regard as positive as well as to enable the visibility of pupils and students and their involvement in education processes, from the definition of procedures and strategies to the definition of the education content (Pereira, Mouraz, & Figueiredo, 2014). Bužinković (2009) defines participation as the consent of the stakeholders in the horizontal dimension of the policy process.…”

“…Literature analysis shows a growing interest of researchers in the role of pupils and students with disabilities in education (Brandt, 2011;Christidou et al, 2013;Fuller et al, 2004;Hurst, 1999;Jurković-Majić, 2007;McLaughlin, 1987;Mlinarević & Marušić, 2005;Pereira, Mouraz & Figueiredo, 2014;Piggott, 2007;Rochette & Loiselle, 2012;Schmidt & Čagran, 2014;Širanović, 2012;Tinklin, Riddell, & Wilson, 2004;Turnšek, 2008;Vickerman & Blundell 2010). However, the education practice in Croatia does not offer sufficient empirical data on the role of pupils and students in the implementation of education policy.…”

“…The pupils with disabilities declare more often than the students without disabilities that they are afraid to express their opinions at school, that they get angry and hurt, that they cry and have a feeling of inferiority. Pereira, Mouraz, and Figueiredo (2014) argue that the feeling of fear accompanying the expression of opinions must not be ignored in educational relationships, and they attribute the occurrence of fear to the power of professors and teachers, stating that "power relations in school have traditionally been asymmetrical, and teachers' perspectives prevail in the decisionmaking process" (Pereira, Mouraz, & Figueiredo, 2014, p. 953). Some of the participants assert that they would like to be independent, but are prevented by the lack of skills and knowledge, as they have never been independent or have not been independent to such an extent, being used to letting things work out on their own and expecting someone else to do their job.…”