Students’ participation in democratic school management: A systematic literature review

Highlights • Empirical research on student participation in school management has increased significantly in recent years. • Countries have local and specific education policies that define student participation in school management. • Education policy defines places for student participation, but there are sociocultural barriers in the governance structure. • Student participation in school management is mostly in student councils, through class representatives, and only as an advisory body. • Students create new movements and initiatives, with practices beyond the conventional and formal at schools. Purpose: To know and study the participation of young students and their voice in decision-making in their schools in a competitive education regulated by excellence. To understand if and how students are involved in the democratic management of schools, given that these young people are involved globally, with an active participation in society. Design: A systematic literature review on student participation in democratic school management, identifying empirical studies from various countries with different theoretical frameworks and methodologies. Findings: There are several democratic practices and experiences of student participation in schools, despite sociocultural barriers in some countries. However, the participatory and democratic discourses identified in schools, including those in educational policy, do not directly impact the possibilities for students to participate in decision-making.