From voting to engaging: promoting democratic values across an international school network.

Abstract

Using a mixed methods design, the researchers investigated understandings and practices of democracy across a worldwide network of 180 schools committed to shared values. An extensive questionnaire received 4020 student and 863 teacher returns; additionally, leaders, students and parents from 5 case study schools on different continents were interviewed. All stakeholder groups were found to value democracy highly, but saw its implementation in their schools as challenging and limited. While staff and parents espoused more holistic understandings of democratic practices and cultures, students focused primarily on systems of election and representation. A framework for developing ‘responsible leadership’ is offered to deepen students’ democratic agency through informed, active and reflective engagement with people, situations and curricula