"I Was a Bad Kid": Utilizing Youth Participatory Action Research to Promote Educational Dignity in a Title I Elementary School

• In Event: Aspiring and Practicing School Leaders Engaging in Participatory Action Research Alongside Minoritized Youth

Abstract

Purpose/Objective: This qualitative case study examines the experiences of 10 Black and Latinx fourth graders as student researchers engaged in a semester-long youth participatory action research (YPAR) study at a Title I elementary school. YPAR encompasses members of oppressed groups driving the critical inquiry cycle to promote change in their school-community settings (Cammarota & Fine, 2010). We, the co-authors on this paper, served as a university professor (Author 1) and aspiring school leader/current teacher (Author 2) facilitating this project alongside minoritized youth. The youth-led research project centered on ways to improve the educational experiences of young people at this Title I elementary school.

Theoretical Framework: The theoretical perspectives framing this paper rely on the notion of educational dignity. We conceptualize educational dignity as a “multifaceted sense of a person’s value generated via substantive intra-and inter-personal learning experiences that recognize and cultivate one’s mind, humanity, and potential” (Espinoza, Vossoughi, Rose & Poza, 2020, p. 326). The following is our research question: In what ways does YPAR promote educational dignity at a Title I elementary school serving primarily Black and Latinx students?

Methods: This qualitative case study employed a range of methods (Merriam, 1998). Data collection occurred from April through June of 2022, such as field notes during YPAR team meetings, anonymous surveys and focus groups with student researchers, interviews of school staff, and data from the actual YPAR project. Data analysis included both inductive and also deductive analysis, using traditional coding methods, such as open coding (Saldaña, 2012). We identified salient themes in our findings and then engaged in a conversation with our theoretical framework.

Findings & Discussion: One preliminary finding highlights the centrality of social interactions between adults and students within this YPAR project to promote educational dignity. For example in a focus group at the end of the project, Author 2 asked youth researchers whether or not this experience changed their perceptions of themselves. Malcolm, a Black student in the group with a learning disability and a reputation as a troublemaker, shared how before this project he thought he was “a bad kid.” After some prodding from Author 2, he acknowledged how “because teachers be [sic] nice to [him]” that he no longer believed this of himself. The teachers included Author 1, Author 2, and a graduate assistant. The authors surmise that Malcolm’s participation in this project and his interactions with adult facilitators shifted how he eventually viewed himself.

Significance: Despite a call in recent years to strive for a social justice-oriented approach to educational leadership, conceptualizations of who counts as leaders remain tethered to titular roles, excluding students and caregivers altogether (Bertrand & Rodela, 2017). Furthermore, this paper illustrates the possibilities when adults work alongside minoritized elementary-aged youth for educational justice. The learning experiences and social interactions within these YPAR spaces have the possibility of also transforming how marginalized students view their world and themselves.

Authors

• Van T. Lac, University of Illinois at Chicago
  Presenting Author

• Asia Mitchell
  Presenting Author