Voices and silences in a social network mediated Student Voice experience

Based on the theoretical framework of Student Voice, this paper presents a research study designed to verify whether a social networking site such as Facebook represents a feasible way for secondary school students to express their voice on school so as to enhance the quality of school education. With this purpose in mind, a private group was set up on Facebook and some questions were posted to activate participation. Moreover, two surveys were administered to gauge students’ confidence with Facebook and explore the reasons behind their overall reticence to participate in the proposed activity. The low levels of response provide the authors with elements for reflecting upon the Student Voice approach and how it might be implemented successfully at school level. They also lead to some considerations about the use of social networking sites in the school context.