Co-creation and decision-making with students about teaching and learning: a systematic literature review

Abstract

Involving students in shaping their own education allows for more suitable, acceptable and effective education. We focus on how student voice is embodied in the context of teaching and learning as well as relevant factors for implementation and the impact of student voice activities on students' personal development and school connectedness. This systematic literature review provides an overview of qualitative studies which focus on involving 12–20 year-old students in co-creation and decision-making in the context of teaching and learning. The 15 included studies indicate that students were involved in various phases and were assigned multiple roles and responsibilities. There was a tendency to include students as advisors in planning, as co-researchers in acting/observing and as reviewers in reflecting. Relevant factors for implementation were knowledge, skills, beliefs about capabilities, optimism, emotions, social/professional role and identity, and social influences. Those students who participated increased their skills, confidence and ownership. Ongoing challenges remain with granting students various opportunities for taking diverse roles in each research phase. Future research is needed in more diverse school contexts and which assesses the long-term impact on students’ development and their health, well-being and social position.