The voice of youths about school and its mark on their lives

Abstract

The work we present is a qualitative study of the school experience and its repercussions on the current lives of ex-students from Mallorca. The work has two purposes: (a) to learn about the school’s influence on the identity development of the students and (b) to incorporate the voices of former students regarding their reflection on the present and with a look towards the future and the challenges they face. The study is part of the movement known as Student Voice, which considers students to be valuable experts whose opinions should be sought for the betterment of school. For this study, the interpretations of ex-students were collected through in-depth interviews. The findings reveal information regarding what the participants felt was most important to learn at school, the conditions that favour learning and the teaching strategies that enhance it. In this sense, these opinions are indicators for assessing long-term educational goals and school practices.