Principals' Perspectives on Student Voice Leadership
Open AccessStudents who have voice in their schools are more engaged in their education and in their communities (Camino, 2000; Fullan, 2016; Flutter & Rudduck, 2004; Rubin & Silva, 2003), more likely to advocate for themselves and for issues that are important to them (Martinez & McGrath, 2014), report confidence and mental well-being (Murphey, Lamonda, Carney, & Duncan, 2004; Serido, Borden, & Perkins, 2011), and hold the belief that they have the power to change the world (Quaglia & Corso, 2015). Student voice research, as expected, typically focuses on student outcomes and perspectives and does not explore student voice conceptualizations and experiences from the perspective of adults. This qualitative study was designed to explore the perspectives of secondary school principals as related to student voice and how, if at all, they lead student voice within their schools. The structure, agency, culture paradigm (Archer, 2003) provided a lens through which to understand the principal’s experience. The results of this study suggest that principals’ understanding of student voice is contained to the already existing structures within their schools, as well as positioning student voice as an extracurricular experience, rather than academic. The results also suggest that principal’s ability to lead student voice is hindered by lack of vision and experience with student voice leadership. Based on the results of this study, principals are in need of experiences with student voice that might deepen their understanding of the power and potential of student voice leadership.
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