Participación Estudiantil y Autonomía Institucional en la Construcción de Ciudadanía: Revisión Sistemática de la Literatura en el Contexto Educativo

Abstract

Student participation and institutional autonomy are important elements in the development of citizenship in schools, although there is still a gap between the democratic discourses promoted by educational policies and the actual experiences of participation that take place within educational institutions. This study focused on how student participation and institutional autonomy can promote or limit the construction of citizenship in basic and secondary education. To this end, a systematic literature review was conducted following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, and the Scopus database was consulted using Boolean search equations applied to the TITLE-ABS-KEY field, considering publications from 2018 to 2025. After the review process and the application of the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 22 studies were selected to constitute the analytical corpus. The results show that student participation can take different forms; in some cases, it remains a symbolic experience, whereas in others, it enables greater student involvement in deliberation and decision-making. These differences are related to institutional autonomy and to the forms of leadership and governance present in each school context. Difficulties associated with adultcentrism and the bureaucratization of institutional processes were also identified, along with structural inequalities that may reduce opportunities for participation. The findings indicate that the construction of citizenship requires more than formal participation mechanisms, as students need spaces where they can express their ideas and participate effectively in matters that are part of school life. Thus, greater coordination between student participation and institutional autonomy may contribute to democratic school cultures in which student agency and collective deliberation play a more significant role.