I’m More Than an Ant in a Building

• In Event: All Aboard! Open to Learning Through Applied Research Practices and Evaluative Thinking in the Ontario Public Education System

Abstract

Contribution to Applied Education Research

A growing body of research has examined the potential role of increasing student voice in schools. Student voice—also known as student participation, active citizenship, or youth leadership—describes the many ways in which youth share the school decisions that will shape their lives and the lives of their peers (Mitra, 2006). Disengaged students attend school less, achieve less academically, and are more likely to drop out of school (Ferguson, 2005).
The Ontario Student Voice Initiative was launched in 2008 and created a variety of ways to listen to students, to learn more about what strengthens their engagement in order to develop policies and programs that will help the ministry achieve its key goals of higher achievement, reduced gaps and increased public confidence in publicly funded education. A key component of the initiative is Students as Researchers, which was created in response to students’ desire to experience the professional learning opportunities of their teachers.

Ontario Students as Researchers Initiative

By making students and adults equal partners in collaborative inquiry we can support active engagement of students in questions of interest to them. Then students become change agents who affect school cultures and norms. Students and teachers develop a sense of shared responsibility for the quality and conditions of teaching and learning, both within particular classrooms and more generally within the school community. Students as Researchers moves students along the research continuum from being the sources of data through which to understand learning to themselves conducting research to inform educators of their learning perspectives.

Students are given the training and tools to lead research projects that collect evidence about their school’s policies and directives. They are advised by teachers in their school on research methods and considerations with an emphasis on ethics as research projects necessarily involve consultation with their peers who are largely vulnerable communities. The process through which students develop their evidence-informed recommendations engages them in learning how to influence decisions at school and in their communities as well as challenging the school’s administrative structures to adapt and be responsive to students’ research findings. They can select any research topic of their choosing, which have included: health and well-being; the importance of extracurricular activities; and bullying.

Understanding the Significance of Students as Researchers

There are many dimensions to understanding the significance of Students as Researchers. Student feedback surveys are collected to gain a deeper understanding of students’ experiences in conducting their research. The ministry monitors student projects, research questions and their recommendations to boards and the ministry for trends in topic selection and resulting recommendations. Also examined is the extent to which projects lead to improvements in student learning and in their school, which can contribute to students being more engaged intellectually, academically and socially. Students as Researchers has an effect on students’ engagement in their school communities and also, importantly, on the education sector structures that adapt in response to student-led research and recommendations.

Authors

• Jean Courtney

• Kelly C Brown

• Hema Vyas