Abu Shamat, Ghadeer Munther; (2025) Student Voice to Foster Student Leadership: A Case Study of a Private International School in Dubai – United Arab Emirates. Doctoral thesis (Ed.D), UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

The concept of student voice has gained significant traction in educational research as a way to foster student engagement and empowerment, and school improvement. The literature on student voice acknowledges the importance of student voice and leadership activities; however, there is limited literature on how to implement student voice activities effectively to include all students across a school, and it also lacks guidance on how to measure the effectiveness of these activities and their impact on school improvement. While influential scholars such as Mitra, Fielding, and Rudduck have extensively explored student voice in various educational settings, a relative lack of research has been focused on the particular challenges and opportunities within international school contexts, particularly in the Middle East. This case study has investigated whether there is evidence that student voice fosters student leadership in a private international school in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; the meaningful practices that the school leaders implement to amplify student voice; and why school leaders should foster and support student voice and student leadership at the school level. Data was collected through student surveys, focus-group discussions, and interviews with the leaders and teachers in the school to understand the school's strategies and answer the research questions. The main findings confirm that student voice is essential in fostering student leadership. The school has implemented innovative practices, such as holacracy and a council system, to amplify student voice and increase student participation. These moves reflect a high level of collaboration between students and adults, as highlighted by Hart (1992) and Mitra (2006). However, the study also has identified a need for a unified definition of student voice within the school, and that several of the existing practices and platforms lack the agency required to influence decisions at the school level. Since the sample comprises secondary students, further study is required to explore the activities at younger ages in order to explore the practices that amplify student voice at early stages of school. This thesis proposes a model with different activities to be implemented at various levels: ‘classroom strategies’ for all the students in the classes and ‘school-wide strategies’, through use of which students are selected to participate in student-led activities in collaboration with adults at the wider school level. The thesis also proposes a matrix for utilisation by school leaders and teachers to assess the effectiveness of student-voice activities in relation to Hart’s Ladder and Mitra’s Pyramid.

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