ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT

This article presents a meta-ethnographic synthesis of recent qualitative research on student voice in secondary education, focusing on digital media practices. From a critical and interpretive perspective, the review identifies five key dimensions through which student voice materialises: (i) autonomous expression in teacher-led digital environments; (ii) visual and narrative representation of personal experience; (iii) critique of digital surveillance and datafication; (iv) pedagogical decision making and content design; and (v) critical appropriation of knowledge in meaningful contexts. The discussion advocates the need to rethink the place of student voice not only as an object of consultation or as a form of instrumental participation, but also as an epistemic practice with transformative potential. The findings suggest that effectively including student voice requires institutional and pedagogical conditions that redistribute curricular power and recognise student knowledge from the perspective of social justice. This review sheds light on both the potential and the current limitations of digitally mediated educational practices in secondary education and underscores the pressing need for further ethnographic research into students’ experiences, narratives and positioning.

ABSTRACT

Introducción. La participación es un derecho de la infancia, y por ello es necesario integrar la voz de alumnado y escuchar sus propuestas, facilitar el proceso de toma de decisiones y generar experiencias que  fomenten  la  implicación  y  la  comprensión  del  proceso.  Objetivo.  La  investigación  realizada  tiene  como  objetivo  conocer  la  experiencia  de  participación  del  alumnado  de  sexto  de  primaria  a  nivel de aula, centro y comunidad desde la perspectiva de los propios niños y niñas; así como diseñar un  plan  de  posibles  mejoras  para  potenciar  la  participación  de  todo  el  alumnado  partiendo  de  las  necesidades detectadas. Metodología. Se ha realizado un muestreo incidental con los cuatro grupos clase del sexto curso de Educación Primaria del centro educativo, lo que configura una muestra de 92 niños y niñas. El procedimiento de recogida de la información se ha efectuado por medio de un cuestionario validado que recopila información cuantitativa sobre la participación del alumnado, así como  entrevistas  grupales.  Finalmente,  se  ha  realizado  una  entrevista  grupal  de  contraste  con  el  profesorado. Resultados.  Los  resultados  reflejan  que  la  toma  de  decisiones  en  las  experiencias  a  nivel de aula, centro y comunidad residen de forma prioritaria en el profesorado, aunque el alumnado muestra un alto interés por participar. Discusión. El profesorado ha reflexionado sobre la viabilidad de las propuestas a su contexto. A partir de ello, emergen retos para la mejora de la participación del alumnado más allá de las funciones representativas, en consonancia con la expectativa docente de ampliar la toma de decisiones desde la voz del alumnado. 

ABSTRACT

The pursuit of just and fair social inclusion in schooling remains a pressing concern in education. Drawing on a multi-sited critical ethnography, this article explores how teachers in remote areas of Aragon, Spain, address this challenge through their use of digital media. The analysis focuses on teachers’ strategies and experiences as they attempt to incorporate student and community voices into digital teaching practices in order to enhance curricular relevance and foster meaningful learning experiences. It also examines the tensions teachers face, including curricular performativity pressures. The article ultimately reflects on how certain policies and practices may hinder efforts towards justice and fair inclusion, advocating a critical reassessment of education policies and their role in supporting equitable, socially just and inclusive schools, the wellbeing of those within them and a socially sustainable future.

ABSTRACT

This study explores the value of informal conversations as an essential technique that disrupts hieratical relationships between researchers and participants, as well to facilitate a process of rethinking and possible transformation. Data is derived from ethnographic fieldwork conducted over a nine-month period in two small rural schools located in Spain. This research forms part of National Research Project ‘Challenging stigmatisation. Creative and inclusive teaching practices with digital media in schools with special difficulties’ (PID2020-112880RB-I00). This article presents an analysis of the role played by informal conversations as an opportunity for the transformation of educational practices from a critical and collaborative perspective. The results illustrate the value of informal conversations for the collection of information and how the feedback acquired through informal conversations during fieldwork can be used to foster reflexivity and transform creative teaching practices.

ABSTRACT

This study employs the capability approach (CA) to explore the long-term significance of children’s digital practices at home during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. Specifically, it aims to understand the digital skills or “functionings” acquired by children during the lockdown, the extent to which all children had equal opportunities to develop these skills, and the broader implications for educational equity and social justice. It draws on a qualitative study that applied a mosaic approach involving 10 children aged 6–12 years and their parents from different regions of Spain. The findings show that children honed digital functionings during the lockdown, forging autonomy to pursue activities they valued: education and learning, creativity and self-expression, and social connections. From the CA perspective, the acquired digital and educational capabilities are lasting and can enhance the children’s well-being in the post-pandemic era. The findings underscore the importance of encouraging critical reflection on the risks associated with digital engagement to enhance autonomy. Additionally, they highlight disparities in digital access and opportunities among children from different backgrounds during the lockdown, thereby calling for transformative approaches that reflect the diverse needs identified through horizontal collaboration with the communities and schools in question.

ABSTRACT

This article critically analyzes the representation of standardised assessments in Spanish educational policies, particularly in the current Spanish education law (LOMLOE), in reports on the state of the Spanish educational system (2020–2023), and through the voices of teachers working in schools with special difficulties and their implications for these types of schools. Employing Carol Bacchi’s What is the problem represented to be? (WPR) approach, the study questions the assumptions underlying these assessments, including claims of neutrality, linear improvement and universal applicability to address inequalities. The results reveal that standardised assessments are presented as indispensable tools for diagnosing and improving equity and quality. However, this representation neglects the systemic challenges faced by vulnerable schools. Furthermore, the study highlights a mismatch between diagnostic objectives and the capacity of disadvantaged schools to implement the recommended changes. It criticises how these policies risk perpetuating inequality by imposing rigid frameworks ill-suited to local realities and reinforcing deficit narratives about marginalised schools. It concludes by advocating for reconfiguring standardised assessments to emphasise contextualised and inclusive approaches that address the specific needs of schools in vulnerable contexts. This research contributes to global debates about equity, accountability and the broader implications of standardised assessments for education policy.

ABSTRACT

This study employs the capability approach (CA) to explore the long-term significance of children’s digital practices at home during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. Specifically, it aims to understand the digital skills or “functionings” acquired by children during the lockdown, the extent to which all children had equal opportunities to develop these skills, and the broader implications for educational equity and social justice. It draws on a qualitative study that applied a mosaic approach involving 10 children aged 6–12 years and their parents from different regions of Spain. The findings show that children honed digital functionings during the lockdown, forging autonomy to pursue activities they valued: education and learning, creativity and self-expression, and social connections. From the CA perspective, the acquired digital and educational capabilities are lasting and can enhance the children’s well-being in the post-pandemic era. The findings underscore the importance of encouraging critical reflection on the risks associated with digital engagement to enhance autonomy. Additionally, they highlight disparities in digital access and opportunities among children from different backgrounds during the lockdown, thereby calling for transformative approaches that reflect the diverse needs identified through horizontal collaboration with the communities and schools in question.