Moving towards Inclusion through Student Voice: Mechanisms for Participation and Collective Transformation

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-73782025000200043

Keywords:

Student voice, Student participation, Inclusion, Coexistence, Case study

Abstract

For decades, students have played a passive role in the teaching-learning process and their voice has been silenced. However, in recent years, there has been a shift in the trend towards placing students at the centre of school decision-making. Recent literature underlines the need to listen to student voice to develop a more inclusive, participatory and democratic education. The aim of this article is to identify mechanisms and participation strategies that bring student voice to the fore, and to reflect on the contribution of student voice to the advancement of inclusion. To this end, a case study is presented, contextualised in a school in Murcia, where it is possible to glimpse that another way of doing education is possible. The results bring the reader closer to the process of collective transformation undertaken to introduce the students' voice from different platforms and formats: assembly of delegates and daily assembly, mixed commissions, the club of the brave and strategies that encompass the entire educational community for the election of a common standard. The conclusions point to the empowerment of students, the improvement of coexistence, the cultivation of a culture of co-responsibility and the real inclusion of these voices in a school radically open to change.

Author Biographies

María Fe López Martínez, Centro de Educación Infantil y Primaria Santa Rosa de Lima

Director of the Santa Rosa de Lima Infant and Primary Education Centre, El Palmar, Murcia. Diploma in Primary Education (specialising in Infant Education and Therapeutic Pedagogy), Degree in Psychopedagogy and Intermediate Level Qualification in Spanish Dance. With more than 20 years of teaching experience in educational centres, she is a member of the Regional Commission of Directors of the Region of Murcia. Coordinator of the Network of Inclusive School Groups and the regional project Communities of Innovation. She actively participates in conferences organised by the Teacher and Resource Centre (CPR) of the Region of Murcia, as well as by universities, professional associations and other entities. She gives courses and lectures on inclusive models of attention to diversity and successful actions in Learning Communities, among others. Profile on X: @InspeccionCurs2.

Cecilia Azorín, Universidad de Murcia

University Professor, Department of Teaching and School Organisation. Faculty of Education, University of Murcia. Diploma in Music Education (Special End-of-Degree Award), Degree in Pedagogy (Special End-of-Degree Award and First National End-of-Degree Award), Master's Degree in Research and Innovation in Early Childhood and Primary Education, Master's Degree in Gender and Equality, Master's Degree in Teacher Training. Doctorate in Education from the University of Murcia. International affiliate of the Centre for International Research into Leadership in Education (CIRLE). Her lines of research focus on inclusion, school improvement, leadership and collaborative networks in education. In this regard, she has published more than 50 articles in indexed journals in different countries and is a regular speaker at international conferences such as ECER, ICSEI and AERA. X profile: @CeciliaAzorin. Website: https://ceciliaazorin.com.

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Published

2025-12-30

How to Cite

López Martínez, M. F., & Azorín, C. (2025). Moving towards Inclusion through Student Voice: Mechanisms for Participation and Collective Transformation. Revista Latinoamericana De Educación Inclusiva, 19(2), 43–62. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-73782025000200043

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Vol. 19 No. 2 (2025): Narratives Committed to Inclusive Education from the Voice of Students. Inequalities, Resistance, and Collective Action

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Sección Temática

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