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Parents as Co-Designers and Co-Researchers in Playful Learning Landscapes Projects

Fri, April 12, 9:35 to 11:05am, Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Floor: Level 3, Room 307

Abstract

The objective of this study is to expand the community engagement factor of the Playful Learning Landscapes (PLL) model by engaging Latine parents as co-designers and co-researchers in evaluating the success of the playful learning designs in their community.

We adopt Funds of Knowledge (FoK) as a theoretical framework to recognize and harness the assets of Latine families at multiple stages in the research process. FoK theory counters deficit thinking of minoritized communities and instead highlights the multiple sources of knowledge within these communities that are assets in supporting children’s learning (Moll et al., 1992). Guided by this theory, we engaged Latine families in co-creating physical playful STEM learning opportunities that integrated their cultural values and practices (Belgrave et al, 2022; Bermudez et al., 2023). Furthermore, we positioned Latine mothers as co-researchers by engaging them in the administration of surveys in their local community spaces.

Thirty-two parents and their families participated in the PLL co-design process, and 23 of them accepted our invitation to participate as co-researchers. Parents conducted surveys with other parents in their community regarding their views on play and learning before and after the installation of co-designed PLLs at parks, bus stops, and grocery stores.

Participants attended three two-hour virtual trainings regarding the goals of the research, their role as a community researcher, accessible research ethics topics, while also allocating sufficient time for questions. After parents conducted the pre-PLL installation surveys (N = 158), we held a debriefing session to hear about their experiences and discuss themes they noticed. Our team coordinated with parents and directors of our partnering community-organization to deliver materials to parents and facilitate their involvement. The material exchange times also gave us a chance to informally check-in and discuss parents’ experiences. Participants were compensated $25 for each hour of their time. Parents are currently administering the post surveys. Upcoming work includes focus groups and individual interviews to further understand parents’ experiences and insights as co-designers and co-researchers.

Our preliminary findings of the training and debrief sessions suggest that parents feel honored to be a part of this process and take pride in their role. For example, one parent said they enjoy being a part of our team and feel that we are “actually listening” to parents’ priorities and concerns. Yet, some parents brought up feeling concerned for their safety in some of the community spaces. Although it was not a concern we had anticipated, we arranged for parents to conduct surveys in pairs and scheduled shifts in heavily trafficked public spaces.

Although previous PLL projects have incorporated community engagement (Hassinger-Das et al., 2020), this is the first study to incorporate parents as participants through multiple stages of the research process. Community engagement in multiple aspects of research increases the likelihood of it being relevant, accountable, issue-driven, supported by the community, and most importantly translated into policy or practice (Pedruzzi & McKenzie, 2022). This study provides a model for engaging parents as co-designers and co-researchers, which is an essential aspect of the PLL process moving forward.

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