We want our students to be active learners
Improving Student Agency and Voice in our Classroom
Box Hill High School
In Semester One teacher teams have been working in Professional Learning Communities, concentrating on the topic of Student Voice and Agency. Especially following the extended periods of remote learning students experienced across recent years, our continual focus has been on how to engage students in learning and provide authentic learning opportunities from 7 – 12. Student Voice is not just about providing students with the chance to communicate ideas and opinions, it is providing the opportunity for students to collaborate and make decisions with adults about their learning. Student Agency focuses on the empowerment of students and the level of autonomy students experience in their learning environment. That is, how students take responsibility for their learning but also help direct it. Student Agency is fundamentally about engagement in learning and empowerment.
This Term, BHHS teachers have been working to develop a shared understanding of what Student Voice and Agency looks like for our students. The first steps have involved listening to student feedback and responses on how they perceive their own student voice, their own agency, and the influence they have on their learning. It has been fascinating to hear the perspectives of students from all year levels about how they feel they learn best and when they feel most connected
The research tells us that students who have a strong sense of agency are more likely to:
- have greater focus and interest in school,
- are more resilient,
- are more likely to meet challenge head on,
- and set higher goals for themselves.
We want to improve Student Agency and active participation in every classroom at Box Hill High School. Specifically, teachers have been collaborating in sub-school teams to pin down what Agency looks like for Junior, Middle, and Senior students.
The next step for our teaching teams is to focus on evidence-based strategies for how to build greater engagement and student empowerment at each of our Sub-School levels. We are looking forward to developing these further, and hearing more from our students on how we can work together in a learning partnership.
By Nathaniel Smith
Acting Assistant Principal
Learning Leader: Data and Assessment