Students’ Perspectives on the Importance of ‘Student Voice’ in Cambodian Higher Education: Teaching and Learning

Abstract

Although there is a remarkable increase in the number of higher educational institutions in Cambodia, the quality of tertiary education has not yet achieved a desirable outcome. Thus, the university management team, teachers and policy makers strives to make considerable progress to deal with this challenge. In enhancing the quality of teaching and learning (one of the target elements to improve) in Cambodian higher education, stakeholders have mapped out some practical strategies, yet overlooked the use of ‘student voice’. Therefore, this study was conducted to address the significance of ‘student voice’. The first purpose was to explore the university students’ perspectives on the importance of ‘student voice’ in learning and teaching in Cambodian higher education. The second was to examine the challenges that students encountered when it came to expressing their voice. Last, it aimed at gaining insight from the students on how teachers, students, and university could contribute to promoting the use of ‘student voice’. Qualitative research was employed to obtain rich information from the participants. Eight students in one university located in Phnom Penh City, Cambodia were invited to participate in a semistructured interview with the data obtained being analysed by thematic analysis. The key findings of this study revealed that ‘student voice’ benefitted both students and teachers by improving the teaching strategy and academic performance. The findings also showed that when their voice was considered there was a positive impact on teaching and learning, and emotion and rapport, but negative impacts when their voice was ignored. Furthermore, students faced barriers when expressing their voice as voice givers, and from their teachers and management team as voice recipients. It also indicated that ‘student voice’ and the culture of respect were interrelated, and unexpectedly, this study also found drawbacks in using ‘student voice’. Explaining the significance of the findings in this study, ‘student voice’ plays an important role in Cambodian higher education, as it has the potential to improve the quality of teaching and learning. Therefore, the university, teachers, students and policy makers should consider using ‘student voice’ in enhancing the quality of teaching and learning, and work cooperatively to promote it.