Arts-Based Inquiry as Resistance: Elevating Student Voices Through Collage Methodology

• In Event: Supporting Youth Activism in Hostile Times: Case Studies in Deepening YPAR Practices

Abstract

Objective
Through arts-based inquiry, students challenged deficit narratives and reimagined schooling through collages, exploring whether post-pandemic students are “struggling” to meet expectations or resisting outdated systems and structures that do not serve them. This study examined how the combination of disrupted learning, the unraveling of post-colonial educational constructs, and the demand for compliance in an industrialized school system has shaped students' behavior, experiences, and perspectives (Cook-Sather, 2020; Henry, 2000; [Author] & Petty, 2013).

Perspective
Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory (1979, 2005), which recognizes that students do not exist in isolation but instead are influenced by the interconnected systems that shape their daily realities. In conjunction with Henry’s (2000) critique of school structures, it challenges us to question whether traditional educational models truly serve today’s students or merely reinforce an outdated, compliance-driven system that fails to nurture their agency and belonging. Authentic youth-adult partnerships and student agency are essential for transforming these systems to address the institutional harm and redistribute the power dynamic in education (Cook-Sather, 2020; Henry, 2000; [Author] & Petty, 2013). Rather than viewing their disengagement as defiance or failure, this research positions their perspectives as essential insights into what schools must become to serve post-pandemic learners (Henry, 2000). In place of defiance, we can use the word resistance. Vinthagen and Johansson (2013) define the concept of everyday resistance as subtle forms of opposition that challenge the dominant power structures within the structure of schools. If education prepares students for the future, schools must evolve with our students. We cannot force them back into structures that no longer fit. Jemal (2017) critically analyzes the concept of critical consciousness, exploring resistance on a continuum. We must utilize active engagement in transformative action to enact change. This study is an act of restorative scholarship, a commitment to centering student voices in the conversations that shape their education (Theoharis, 2007).

Methods
Collage Club became a powerful space for an authentic student voice opportunity. Over six weeks, I met with a group of 11 fifth-grade students twice weekly in the art room, where they created three collages. This study was rooted in student voice, agency, and hope. We were able to visually capture how students at Eagle Crest Elementary perceive and navigate school in the aftermath of these systemic shifts (Butler-Kisber, 2008). Students used their voices to share the themes from our collaborative data analysis process and make recommendations for improving the student experience in the K-5 setting.

Results & Significance
Findings indicate students reject the label of “pandemic children” that society attempts to impose; instead, they assert identities shaped by resilience, insight, and agency. Students felt disconnected from traditional school structures such as desks in rows, lectures, extended seat time, and repetitive assessments. Lastly, the students envision school as a space prioritizing mental health, emotional support, and student leadership. The implications include reframing deficit narratives, reimagining systems, and embedding transformative student voice work into our practice ([Author] et al., 2025).

Author

• Idalis Kizee, Rowan University