Contextualizing and elevating student voice in the Arab region

Uprisings across the Arab region have evidenced youth’s discontent with the status quo and the reality of exclusion from public life and participation in their immediate realities. In schools, the status of youth has not... [ view full abstract ]

Uprisings across the Arab region have evidenced youth’s discontent with the status quo and the reality of exclusion from public life and participation in their immediate realities. In schools, the status of youth has not been any different. Nonetheless, there has been an increasing interest in and evidence for the integration and participation of students in various aspects of schools as active contributors who can shape the process of teaching and learning. The study presents insight on the practices of student leadership from a collaborative action research project in a Lebanese public school participating in a university-based research and development project for school improvement. The presentation will: (1) examine the current nature of student leadership activities in this school within its national policy context, (2) discuss the challenges that impede the integration of student leadership activities in school, and (3) describe a contextual program for developing student leadership within a school-university research partnership. The study found that students do not have a say in school, particularly in processes that influence their immediate realities. They are not actively involved as partners in the teaching and learning process and in its improvement. Instead, students are positioned as beneficiaries of school efforts, such as efforts to create opportunities for active learning and extra and co-curricular activities. Some of the reported challenges to integrate student leadership activities in this school are: traditional and hierarchical school structures, accountability pressures and demands, time and limiting assumptions about students and their abilities. Through collaborative action research, the school improvement team developed and is implementing an improvement plan to integrate student leadership activities. Insight from this research partnership and understanding of international best practices provided evidence for the preliminary development of a contextual program for student leadership.