How Empowering Student Voice Improves Academic Achievement
Historically, students have had little to no say in teaching and learning. Classrooms have been a one-way conduit of information with educators imparting information and expecting students to absorb it. However, this paradigm is shifting. Decreased student engagement and increased absenteeism following the COVID-19 pandemic, along with a rapidly changing economy that requires a workforce with skills such as taking initiative, motivation, persistence, and creative problem-solving, are among the factors causing educators and policymakers to reevaluate how we teach our students.
One way educators are responding is by incorporating and promoting student voice. In this guide, we will discuss how empowering student voice helps increase student engagement and improve academic outcomes.
Student Voice Guide:
Three Principles of Student Voice
Student Voice Guide: Three Principles of Student Voice
Student voice enhances academic success by promoting a sense of ownership and engagement in learning, which results in increased motivation and better performance. This guide highlights three key principles of student voice: offering choices, providing feedback opportunities, and authentically responding to student input.
What Is Student Voice?
Student voice has many definitions but is widely seen as a practice that focuses on providing students with intentional opportunities to express their values, opinions, beliefs, and perspectives. Student voice in the classroom helps educators gain insight into students’ perceptions of their learning, which can then be used to inform and drive instructional and institutional change.
Student voice programs may include a student survey that collects data on student interests, students’ perceptions of school climate and the quality of instruction, and how empowered they feel. Instead of focusing on a small group of high-achieving students, the most effective programs collect feedback from all students, ensuring a more comprehensive perspective. The data collected helps students and educators collaborate on setting goals for improvement. Student voice programs can include journalism activities, student-led conferences, and student involvement in governing bodies at the school, district, and even state levels.
In order for student voice programs to be successful in increasing student engagement and academic outcomes, student perspectives must be incorporated into existing structures and systems and students must feel that educators are responsive to their input.
Student Voice in the Classroom: A Powerful Practice
Students who feel listened to and who feel that their opinions matter tend to be more engaged in their learning, have higher levels of confidence, and demonstrate self-management—all of which can lead to increased active learning and higher student performance.
Elevating student voice not only strengthens students' sense of agency but also affirms their self-worth, motivating them to explore their interests, develop their abilities, and realize their full potential—socially, emotionally, and academically.
What the Research Says About Student Voice
Research into student voice shows that certain learning conditions can have a deep impact on student engagement and academic outcomes. A study by Quaglia School Voice and Corwin found that students who believe they have a voice in school are seven times more likely to be academically motivated than students who do not believe they have a voice. Students are also twice as likely to work hard to reach their goals and four times more likely to be excited about their future career opportunities than those who do not believe they have a voice.
Additionally, this report by PERTS and the Character Lab Research Network revealed that learning conditions are powerful predictors of students’ likelihood of earning an A or B in mathematics. The researchers found that math achievement for students in grades 8–12 increased when students experienced positive learning conditions. Student voice practices can reveal whether students are experiencing those critical learning conditions.
The study also found that learning conditions significantly affect academic performance across racial and socioeconomic groups. As learning conditions improve, so does the likelihood of students earning a B or better in math.
A study by American Progress shows that student voice practices are most effective when they are adopted in combination with other strategies, such as project-based or inquiry-based learning, and accompanied by professional development to help educators transition from traditional teacher-led pedagogies to a more student-centered approach to learning.
Students who believe they have a voice in school are seven times more likely to be academically motivated than students who do not believe they have a voice.
Quaglia School Voice and Corwin
The Benefits of Student Voice
When educators cultivate student voice and foster agency, the positive impact can be significant in many domains of learning and aspects of education.
Increased Educational Equity and Inclusiveness
Student voice practices can improve equity in education. Students—especially marginalized youth—benefit when educators have a greater understanding of students’ interests, needs, and perceptions.
Student voice can also help educators understand the cultural and social contexts of their students, leading to more culturally responsive teaching and in turn a deeper sense of belonging for students.
Improved Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Skills
SEL and student voice go hand in hand. Student voice promotes important SEL skills like self-awareness, relationship skills, empathy, and responsible decision making. Student voice helps students feel heard, valued, and respected.
When student voice is elevated, students develop important leadership skills and become more active in identifying problems, generating solutions, organizing responses, and advocating for change both in and outside of school contexts.
Greater Academic Success
Research shows that student voice practices create more engaging, supportive, and responsive learning environments that directly contribute to academic success. This active participation by students in learning can lead to a deeper understanding of the material, increased motivation, and better retention of information.
More Positive and Productive School Climate and Culture
Student voice improves school climate and culture because it promotes inclusivity and creates an environment where diverse voices are valued, students feel empowered, and both educators and students feel a deeper sense of pride and community.
Additionally, students and educators develop a shared responsibility for the school’s success and well-being, which in turn promotes collaboration and cooperation.
High-Quality Student Voice Programs to Elevate Student Voice in the Classroom
Elevate
The Elevate student voice program (grades 6–12) measures students’ perceptions of their learning conditions and provides educators with practical recommendations for research-based instructional strategies that support the unique needs of each class. These recommendations help improve classroom practices, enhance student engagement, and boost academic achievement for all students.
Ascend
The Ascend student voice program (higher education) is a data-driven professional learning program that enables college instructors and administrators to measure how their students are experiencing courses and provides research-based practices that can be implemented to make those experiences more equitable, more engaging, and more supportive of student success.
Elevate and Ascend help educators and college faculty utilize student voice to create optimal learning conditions through:
Shared language for student engagement.
Realtime, actionable feedback for teachers and instructors.
Guides and protocols for collaboration.
Disaggregated data for monitoring impact.
Access to a national collaborative.
How Do PERTS Student Voice Programs Work?
Elevate and Ascend by PERTS are unique, data-driven professional learning programs that support educators in partnering with students to create the learning conditions necessary for student empowerment, motivation, social-emotional development, and academic success.
A key strength of the PERTS student voice program is its focus on asking students about their own experiences and recognizing their expertise in these areas. By emphasizing students’ firsthand experiences, educators can respond more effectively and enhance students' overall engagement.
Step 1. Administer a Student Voice Survey: Students take a 5–10-minute survey that measures their perceptions of classroom learning conditions.
Elevate
(Grades 6–12)
Nine Core Learning Conditions are Measured
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Affirming Identities
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Classroom Community
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Feedback for Growth
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Learning Goals
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Meaningful Work
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Student Voice
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Supportive Teaching
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Teacher Caring
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Well-Organized Class
Step 2: Reflect on Student Voice Feedback: Comprehensive reports based on responses to the student voice surveys provide educators with actionable, personalized data to improve student experiences. Reporting is provided in aggregate form for the school, district, or college. Reports for each instructor and class are also provided.
Step 3: Select and Implement New Practices Based on Student Voice Data: Working in partnership with students, educators use the survey data to select and implement new instructional practices that catalyze engagement. Educators consult research-based practice guides and protocols provided by PERTS to create a plan to leverage student voice to collaboratively improve classroom learning conditions.
Step 4: Improve and Repeat: A key component of the PERTS Elevate or Ascend student voice programs is continuous improvement. After educators have tried new practices, the student voice survey is readministered to measure the impact of the practices on learning conditions. Educators engage in an ongoing review cycle to assess what is and isn’t working, make adjustments, and refine their practices.
Taking the Next Step to Elevate and Act on Student Voice
When educators engage with students authentically as partners, truly valuing their input and perspectives, student engagement and outcomes improve.
A key component of strong and impactful student voice programs is gathering student feedback so that educators can understand what is working well for students and what can be adjusted to improve learning conditions for all students.
If your institution is launching a student voice program or looking to strengthen an existing program, the PERTS student voice programs can help your team better understand your students’ perceptions and work together to improve the quality and equity of learners’ experiences and outcomes.