What's Distinctive When High School Communities, Rather Than Researchers, Drive Alumni Research?

• In Event: Innovative Data Developments in Pursuit of Students' Voice

Abstract

More research and theorizing is needed to understand what it looks like, what it means and why it’s practically important for researchers and practitioners to have a joint say in research practice partnerships. To study the potential impact of four STEM-focused high schools, school community members “drove the bus” of designing and analyzing their alumni survey, while the education research experts played more of a supportive, facilitation and capacity-development role. When examining the difference between questions included and observations made by school community adults, students and researchers, we found that the adults largely converged on their questions and observations, while student perspectives were unique. This suggests the importance of including student voice in such projects.

Authors

• Emi Iwatani, Digital Promise
  Presenting Author

• Deblina Pakhira, Digital Promise
  Presenting Author

• Maria Romero, Digital Promise
  Non-Presenting Author