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Student Voice

If a coach walks into the first meeting of a team in a new season with a list of his expectations and invokes the team rules, then it’s the coach’s team.

But if a coach walks into the first meeting of a team in a new season and asks his team, “What values do you want to see from your teammates?” and “What rules should be in place?”, then it’s the athletes’ team.

If a player has their voice heard and valued, they are more likely to be invested in all aspects of the team. Players will become more engaged when they realize that their voice matters. They will play with more effort and be more goal-focused.

Research about student voice in schools indicates that students who believe they have a voice in school are seven times more likely to be academically motivated than students who do not believe they have a voice (Quaglia Institute for School Voice and Aspirations, 2016). According to this 239 school, 14 state study, student voice leads to an increased likelihood that students will experience self-worth, engagement, and purpose in school. The more educators can give their students choice, control, challenge, and opportunities for collaboration, the greater their motivation and engagement will be.  This can impact a student’s level of effort and persistence, which is one of the most important factors that affect achievement (Toshalis & Nakkula, 2012).  Certainly, that same increased effort and persistence is necessary to achieve in sports.

Please read this informative article.