Educational commons facilitating student voice: an ethnographic approach

Abstract

ABSTRACT Educational commons is an emergent paradigm that introduces participatory and democratic learning practices and governance, contrasting neoliberal and self-reliant approaches. Learning is seen as a common good, and so are the educational processes. This article presents evidence from the EU Horizon 2020 funded project SMOOTH and examines two distinct learning environments in Estonia: a non-formal education creativity accelerator and a democratic public school. These two contexts are explored to understand how educational commons are implemented in order to facilitate students’ voice and agency. Drawing from ethnographic research, participants’ narratives and researchers’ observations, the findings are analysed through the Lundy model of participation. The findings demonstrate that the practice of educational commons, or commons-based activities, inherently promotes students’ voice and calls for safe and free spaces, while also reinforcing cooperation and responsibility among peers and the wider community. The findings shape implications for practice that envision learning as a shared resource created from the bottom-up and peer-governed. This approach aims for a perspective on education that is both created by, with and for youth.