Applying Critical Participatory Action Research to a Campus-Community Partnership to Promote Social Change

• In Event: Action Research Ways of Knowing and Understanding: Alternative Praxis, Poetic Inquiry, Pedagogy of Hope, and Local Knowledge

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to describe the lessons learned from a project applying Critical Participatory Action Research (CPAR) focused on how critical community engagement reciprocally benefited preservice teachers and Diverse Language Learners (DLLs) at a community learning center (CLC), evaluate best practice/content for a Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESL) program, and develop qualitative research methods for better understanding college-wide civic engagement. The findings from this study revealed that the four participating groups benefited from this learning experience. This type of reflection brought about the attainment of five outcomes that can be accomplished through the implementation of CPAR as described by Kemmis, McTaggart and Nixon (2014).

Authors

• Trina Valdez, State of Utah

• Marilee Coles-Ritchie, Westminster College

• Kalani Eggington, Westminster College