Reclaiming Voice: Examining Student Power, Participation, and Identity Through Engagement with and Leadership in Student Ambassador Councils

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 3:45 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Navigating Structural Inequalities with Social and Techical Networks

Abstract

Student educational experiences are often shaped by decisions made for them, not with them. Via this action research project, we investigated the implementation of a Student Ambassador Council (SAC) and its potential to redistribute power within a school setting by elevating student voice and agency. Framed by Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed and Erikson's theory of psychosocial development, we examined the SAC's influence on middle-grade students' perceptions of voice, social awareness, and self-efficacy. Through qualitative methods, including interviews, surveys, and observations, findings demonstrate that student participation in the SAC contributed to increased engagement, confidence, and critical consciousness. These findings offer insight into how structures like the SAC can challenge traditional hierarchies in schools and promote more democratic, inclusive learning environments.

Authors

• Stacy E. Ellis, Avondale Elementary School District

• Audrey Amrein-Beardsley, Arizona State University