Youth Participatory Action Research Project Exposes Issues That Shape Black Girls' Experiences and Their Perceptions of Educational Injustices

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session 13
  In Roundtable Session: Utilizing Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods for Critical Examination

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to use Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) to engage a team of Black girls from a low-income urban high school in a social justice project focused on a critical examination of the high school educational pathway to STEM fields. To accomplish this goal, a twelve-week study was conducted with five Black girls. The results of the study show Black girls know that race and class affects their educational experiences. However, they know little about racial and gender disparities along STEM educational pathways. In fact, when given an opportunity to engage in a critical examination of school-based issues, these girls initially reified negative racial stereotypes to explain social and educational injustices.

Author

• Shadonna Davis, Georgia State University