The international scholarly debate acknowledges a broad vision of human development in the educational and teaching experience of schools, encompassing key dimensions such as well-being, inclusion, and democratic participation (OECD, 2017; Eurydice, 2018; UNESCO, 2014). This perspective marks a substantial departure from the conventional school paradigm, wherein students are predominantly regarded as passive recipients of education. The emergence of the Student Voice research movement in recent decades has underscored the efficacy of student involvement in enhancing school wellbeing, enhancing the quality of learning, and fostering greater accountability (Mitra, 2004; Cook-Sather, 2020). Specifically, the research demonstrates that the involvement of student voice fosters a more democratic school environment, wherein students are recognised not only as passive recipients of education, but also as active and competent participants in the shaping of educational practices and policies.

However, a significant discrepancy exists between these research findings and the school reality, particularly in the Italian context where, over the past fifteen years, research has provided valuable insights into students' experiences within the secondary school system (Cook-Sather, 2020; Grion & Cook-Sather, 2013). These studies have revealed a pervasive sense of dissatisfaction among students, stemming from a transmissive teaching approach that is disconnected from students' lives, a conspicuous absence of focus on emotional and relational aspects, and bureaucratic practices that treat students as passive recipients of content and assessment.

This paper sets out to explore how forms of student-led participatory research in schools can play a crucial role as a transformative practice with the potential to overcome the aforementioned challenges. Drawing on previous research in the field of Student Voice, as well as on the ongoing project “La scuola siamo noi!” (“The School is Us!”, PNRR-MUSA initiative, 2023-2025), this paper aims to emphasise the pivotal role of research in nurturing participatory practices and its potential to transform schools into democratic communities.

Educational research, with its epistemological, methodological, and ethical frameworks, has long been recognised as both a valuable resource for teachers and an integral component of their professional development (EC, 2018; UNESCO, 2016; Darling-Hammond, Hyler, & Gardner, 2017; Kennedy, 2016). Furthermore, it functions as a potent formative tool for students, within both disciplinary and interdisciplinary research-based teaching methodologies, and in organisational and participatory whole-school approaches (EC, 2015; Zambeta et al., 2019). Within these perspectives, students can assume an active role in school life and its improvement, and research can play a pivotal role in transforming schools into democratic communities of learning and participation, fostering democratic citizenship competencies (COE, 2016), life skills (WHO, 1997), and student well-being within the educational context.

Within this conceptual framework, “The School is Us!” project has been launched within the PNRR-MUSA initiative (2023-2025) in three secondary schools in Milan, Italy. The ongoing two-year intervention aims at fostering transformation within the school community, enabling students and teachers to redefine their collaborative relationship and strengthen their sense of agency, belonging, and motivation. The project, integrating pedagogical innovation, participatory governance, and community engagement, is structured around two main axes:

(i) A research-based professional development program for teachers, designed to innovate pedagogical practices through dialogic strategies, research-based teaching, and curricular co-design.

(ii) The involvement of students in a participatory and transformative student-led research initiative focused on their school environment and broader community, with the objective of enhancing active citizenship and democratic school governance.

The "The School is Us!" project is an exemplar of the participatory, student-led research approach, demonstrating how collaborative inquiry between students and teachers can drive meaningful change and contribute to reimagining school as a democratic space where students are not only learners but also active co-creators of their educational experience and environment.

In its inaugural year, the "The School is Us!" project engaged three upper secondary schools in Milan in a mixed-methods study designed to investigate the constructs of well-being and participation in school. The study employed a sequential explanatory design (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2006), commencing with the administration of a structured questionnaire to 1,118 students in their second and third years of upper secondary education. This was followed by focus groups aimed at deepening the understanding of the patterns and themes emerging from the quantitative data. By integrating both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, the study explored key dimensions of students’ school experiences, including participation in school life, perceptions of teaching methods, school well-being and sense of belonging, student agency and leadership, civic responsibility, critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and psychological capital. This comprehensive approach enabled a nuanced understanding of students’ perspectives and experiences within the participating schools. Findings revealed that the prevailing school model in these three schools remained largely transmissive, with limited opportunities for student participation. As highlighted in the focus groups, this lack of involvement significantly impacted students’ sense of belonging and overall well-being. While the data underscored persistent challenges, students also articulated numerous strategies to transform their schools into environments that foster well-being and active engagement. Building on these insights, the second year of the project introduced a participatory student-led research-based process (McTaggart & Nixon, 2014; Pastori, Sarcinelli, Pagani, 2019), engaging two of the three schools from the initial phase. This initiative brought together mixed groups of students and teachers to collaboratively propose and implement strategies aimed at transforming schools into democratic learning communities, promoting greater engagement, inclusion, and shared responsibility among students and educators. This ongoing phase is informed by the principles of Student Voice and the Lundy and Welty model (2013), which emphasise the importance of amplifying students' voices as well as providing concrete opportunities for meaningful change. Preliminary findings suggest that this approach holds significant promise, as it enables schools to move beyond mere consultation towards the co-creation of school policies and practices (Hart, 1992). This contribution will present both the quantitative and qualitative findings from the first year of the mixed-methods study, as well as emerging insights and good practices from the process. In particular, it will explore concrete strategies for fostering democratic and participatory pathways within schools, enhancing student well-being, and creating a more inclusive, democratic, and engaged educational environment.

The data collected via questionnaires administered in the first year to 1,118 students highlighted significant challenges in students' school experience. These challenges encompass a scarcity of active student participation in school life and decision-making processes, as well as the predominance of a transmissive educational model that prioritises the mere delivery of content and completion of curricula over the promotion of critical thinking and student engagement. Preliminary findings from the second year of implementation indicate that engaging students and teachers in research, both as participants and as learners acquiring its methodologies and ethical foundations, challenges the traditional educational paradigm, thereby restoring to students their role as active and transformative agents, and fostering a more dynamic and meaningful learning experience. The proposed approach (as previously mentioned, referred to as Student Voice principles and participatory student-led research approach) provides both theoretical perspectives and practical tools to enhance intersubjectivity and authentic dialogue between students, and students and teachers. The enabling of both students and teachers to articulate their own voices in the educational and learning process – shaping it in response to their needs while valuing the contributions of all participants – can foster processes of existential, relational, affective, cognitive, and ultimately, socio-political significance. Through active listening to individuals and groups, respect for diverse perspectives, and the development of shared responsibility in decision-making, democracy is realized as a "form of life" (Dewey, 1916/2000) – a continuous process that must be cultivated and renewed. In today's educational landscape, it is more imperative than ever to establish conditions that enable students to have a voice and exert influence within their learning environments.

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