Students’ Voice in Higher Education in Italy and Latvia

Abstract

The participation of students in the educational process is a key to success for higher education. The implementation of activities in which students’ voice is heard via different practices and actors on mega, macro, meso and micro levels brings unexpectedly impressive results in learning. The article investigates the role of students’ voice in two public educational institutions in Latvia (University of Latvia) and Italy (University of Padua). The comparison is made in two categories, actors and practices, to respond to the research question of whether the Italian and Latvian systems support students’ participation/engagement in higher education. The comparative methodology of the study determined the differences and the similarities between the students’ voice practices of the two higher education institutions and proved that Italian and Latvian systems support students’ participation/engagement in higher education; although some improvements are still needed, they are on the right track to implementing it on all levels and in all dimensions.

Keywords

• collaboration
• engagement
• Italy
• Latvia
• students’ voice