ACTIVE LISTENING TO STUDENT VOICES: A PATHWAY TO INCLUSION AND PEDAGOGICAL INNOVATION

ABSTRACT

Listening to student voices is essential to fostering inclusive educational practices, supporting teachers’ professional development, and improving the quality of teaching. Although this approach has been discussed for more than two decades, it has not yet been widely adopted as an integral part of school inclusion. In this context, this study carried out an Integrative Literature Review (ILR) based on scientific articles published between 2020 and 2024, retrieved from the ERIC and b-on databases as well as from other cited sources, with the aim of understanding the relevance of a student-centered approach-in which student voices are heard and taken into account-for promoting successful inclusion processes in primary education and encouraging more inclusive pedagogical practices. The study also sought to identify the main challenges faced by schools and teachers in implementing this approach. The findings highlight that this approach fosters key competencies in students-such as autonomy, critical thinking, communication, and interpersonal relationships-while also supporting teachers’ professional growth and the building of more democratic school communities. However, challenges remain, including entrenched beliefs and practices, the need to redefine the traditional roles of teachers and students, as well as the demand for ongoing professional development and adequate student support.

KEYWORDS:
Student voices; Educational inclusion; Teacher professional development; Inclusive pedagogical practices; Integrative Literature Review.