Giving voice to the voiceless: a mixed-methods study exploring diverse fifth-grade student leadership opportunities through an elementary program

Date

2025

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Abstract

The study of student leadership through voice is a topic that is growing in popularity as educators and researchers learn more about its value in the educational setting. This study aims to explore a program for fifth-grade students in a rural elementary school, developed to provide a participatory voice experience, offering diverse leadership opportunities in an educational setting. Many leadership programs situated in a school setting are organized in such a way that select students represent their whole community and their voice represents the voices of their peers. This program explores an alternative in which any interested fifth-grader is offered the experience to participate in a leadership role.

A mixed-methods case study was conducted to explore the actual experiences of fifth-grade students participating in a job contribution program during the 2022-2023 school year in a rural elementary school. Questionnaires, interviews, focus groups, and field observations were completed to identify if a correlation existed between this lived experience and the students’ perceived self-efficacy and their connectedness to school. Findings indicate some connection between student experiences and efficacy and suggest areas for continued research in student voice.

Description

Keywords

Efficacy, Leadership, Student voice, Elementary program, Agency, Student autonomy

Graduation Month

May

Degree

Doctor of Education

Department

Curriculum and Instruction Programs

Major Professor

Cynthia Shuman; Thomas Vontz

Date

Type

Dissertation

Citation