Student participation in schools and its link to a student's sense of belonging and wellbeing is a increasing  concern among mainstream education providers in many jurisdictions and has been focus of numerous research studies internationally.  Research studies focus on various aspects of student participation such as its link to antisocial behaviour, academic performance and well being (Gonzalez et al. 2020) or student participation in decision making (Cheng et al. 2020). Similar to education policy in most European countries, the Irish Department of Education aims to ensure that the experience of students throughout their primary and post primary education will be one that enhances, promotes, values and nurtures their wellbeing. The Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice (Government of Ireland, 2018) highlights the importance of student participation and the inclusion of students in the life of the school in a manner that will enhance their sense of belonging, security and connectedness to school. This case study aims to explore student perceptions in terms of how they participate in classrooms, at a whole school level, and in decision making in relation to matters that affects them. Students were also asked about thier own sense of belonging in the school. This research was carried out by Dublin City University in conjunction with Educate Together (School Patron Body) and teachers in four Educate Together schools. The study was partly funded by the Teaching Council  of Ireland under the John Coolahan Research Fund. 

The key findings of the study highlight the classroom and whole school activities in which students participate most and least, the factors that students’ claim prevents their participation, student perception of the degree to which they are involved in decision making in the school and their level of influence on decision making. The findings also highlight students’ perception of belonging in the school and what helps them to feel a sense of belonging in the school. 

The purpose of the research project is to explore the perception of students in relation to their participation at both a classroom and whole schools level and their sense of belonging in the school. Literature on student participation informed the development of a survey that was circulated to students in 4 Educate Together schools (2 primary (under 13 yrs) and 2 post-primary(13-18 yrs)). A teacher in each of the participating schools is a member of the research team and these teachers coordinated the distribution of surveys at a local level. A total of 201 students participated in the survey (125 primary and 76 post-primary) which was completed in 2022. The key research questions include: How do students perceive their level of participation in school at a classroom and whole school level? In which activities at the classroom and at a whole school level do students feel they participate in most and least? To what degree are students involved in decision making in the school? How do students perceive their sense of belonging to the school? Students completed a survey on Google Forms which was divided into 4 themes and included a series of Likert style statements about participation and belonging to which participants indicated their level of agreement. Each section also included open ended questions in order to explore examples of participation and supporting factors. The research project received approval from Dublin City University Ethics Committee, and required students to sign an assent form and their parents to sign a consent form should they agree to take part in the research/ agree their child may take part in the research. Number of items for each section of the survey: Participation inside the classroom (20 items); Participation outside the classroom (13 items); Participation in making decisions that affect students (20 items); Overall experience of belonging in the school (18 items).

A large volume of data arose from the study, and a number of key findings are outlined as follows: The majority of students felt that they have various opportunities to participate in activities in the classroom such as working with others, speaking in class, answering questions. Lower number of students feel that they have a voice in how the classroom is organised, in what activities they engage and classroom rules. Although the majority of students agree that there are activities and clubs (such as sports) that they can participate in outside of class, almost half of the students surveys do not participate in such activities and less that a third have participated in any kind of school committee or council. The majority of students feel that their school provides a safe space in which they can express themselves, and that their opinions are heard on matters that affect them. In comparison, less than half of the students agreed or strongly agreed that they are involved in the school self-evaluation process, are given feedback on how their opinion influenced decisions, or meet with staff about the running of the school. In terms of belonging the vast majority of students agreed or strongly agreed that they have friends at school and enjoy talking to others in school. Additionally, the vast majority of students feel good in school, are happy in school, and have fun in their schools. By contrast, over half of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they feel bored at school.

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