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A Review of Forum, Volume 43, Edition 2.
Originally
published in
Meaningful Student Involvement Research Review by Adam Fletcher.
This
edition of Forum addresses multiple issues inherent in
Meaningful Student Involvement, and challenges previous work on
students’ power, student engagement and student advocacy for school
change. The topics cover
a variety of
areas including democratic practices in school, the validity and
authenticity of “student voice,” the multiplicity of students’
experiences, and the authority of students in school.
The authors in
this journal reflect the growing interest in student voice from a
variety of perspectives, including those of current students, former
students, professors, researchers and educators. Careful navigation
of the topics provides a roadmap of Meaningful Student Involvement by
examining classroom-centered activities and school governance
programs. Authors from the United Kingdom, Chile and the United
States detail their experiences and challenges through
critical lenses. They also provide reflections on how their research
could have been improved.
The findings are
as diverse as the writers. In the first three articles, the student
writers share their perspectives on the necessity of “student voice.”
They identify different ways to infuse students into the
curriculum-making process through team-based learning and engaging
students as researchers. The fourth chapter is one of three case
studies included. The author explores how a student research program
progressed from viewing students as data sources to students learning
about and conducting the research. Issues raised throughout the
remainder of the journal raise several vital questions, including:
-
Do schools
actively deny the creativity and responsibility student have within
them to change schools?
-
How and what
can educators learn
from students whose voices they don’t want to hear?
-
What are the issues and
opportunities of working with students to conduct research in
schools?
-
Where else are schools engaging
students as school change agents?
In the final chapter editor Michael
Fielding provides a remarkable framework for evaluating the conditions
of student voice and offers an appraisal of student voice as a force
for genuine change in schools. It effectively serves as an evaluation
framework for assessing the meaningfulness of student involvement.
This framework exists in a space that has always existed, yet never
before been occupied. (See below)
This edition of Forum
provides essential documentation of existing efforts that promote
student inclusive school change. It provides detailed, diverse, and
replicable accounts of success. The international perspectives,
the stories, and the tools offered in this publication provide
important considerations for student inclusive change efforts.
To view this edition of this journal online
click
here.
This review is copyright 2005 SoundOut. Permission is hereby granted
to reproduce this work for educational and not-for-profit use only. No
part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted for commercial
purpose without express consent from SoundOut. |
