Our Stories as the Curriculum: Using Educational Journeys Within the Context of Participatory Action Research

• In Event: 41.059 - PAR Entremundos: A Pedagogy of the Americas

Abstract

Objectives or Purposes of Session
The purpose of this session is to describe and demonstrate Educational Journeys within the context of Participatory Action Research (PAR) Entremundos. Educational Journeys are person- and community-centered narratives focused on storytelling associated with one’s educational experiences (author, forthcoming). AERA audience members will learn how Educational Journeys can be used as a strategy to not only engage participants, but better understand challenges and promises and collaborate to create processes to transform educational and social conditions.

Perspectives or Theoretical Framework
The student-centered nature of Educational Journeys privileges a series of critical frameworks in education including Critical Race Praxis, Critical Theory and Pedagogy, and critical community engagement. Participants’ experiences are viewed and valued as legitimate knowledge and their Community Cultural Wealth is affirmed (Yosso, 2005). The power dynamics between the students and the school system are acknowledged, deconstructed, understood, and redefined. Finally, the community is considered a direct stakeholder in the pedagogical and methodological process and the goal is to create a learning environment that is conducive to healing, building, and thriving together (see author, forthcoming).

Methods, Techniques, or Modes of Inquiry
In our experiences, we must share our own Educational Journeys before we expect others to do so. Typically participants are expected to identify 2-3 formative empowering/disempowering moments in their Educational Journeys. Participants then publicly share their Educational Journeys. Educational Journeys are typically collectively “coded” for themes and connected to larger politics, policy, and practices within and beyond the school system. Pertinent challenges are identified and used to set an agenda for future research and action.

Data Sources
Over the last 7 years, the panelists, as a nationwide collective of Latinxa/o scholars and PAR researchers, have used Educational Journeys or some iteration, as a tool to engage with our communities in teacher development, youth engagement, parent work, university classrooms, and leadership professional development. Experiences and examples from this work will be shared. In addition, the panelists will demonstrate an Educational Journey activity that is engaging and applied during the AERA session.

Results or Substantiated Conclusions
The Educational Journeys process brings three major significant developments: individual, collective, and institutional. Individually students and community participants are provided with the opportunity, or the stage, to not only reflect on their Educational Journeys, but connect their stories with their peers and other community members. At the collective level, Educational Journeys serve as a pedagogical and community engagement tool to transform the collective group involved in the process. Finally, Educational Journeys shapes institutional impact by starting conversations about topics that are typically marginalized within the school and community context.

Scientific or Scholarly Contributions of the work
In these tumultuous times when historically marginalized peoples continue to struggle for identity, place, and justice in volatile educational and community spaces, Educational Journeys serve as a vehicle to organize and transform possibilities in teacher and leadership development, community engagement efforts, and redefine and reframe the purpose of education.

Author

• Louie F. Rodriguez, University of California - Riverside