Student Outcomes of Youth Participatory Action Research Implemented in Urban High Schools

• In Event: Sunday Roundtable Session 11:25 am
  In Roundtable Session: Constructing Equitable Instructional Practices and Procedures in Urban Settings (Table 17)

Abstract

This study compares academic and civic outcomes between high school students who participated in classroom-based youth participatory action research (YPAR) and those who did not. The study is part of a larger multiyear project of our urban research-practice partnership to make learning more culturally responsive, project-based, and equity-oriented. We used data from students in three urban high schools, under half of whom engaged in YPAR during the school year. Our findings show that students who engaged in YPAR in their classes had significantly higher social justice attitudes and lower academic self-efficacy compared to academically and demographically similar same-school peers. These differences are preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of YPAR as a pedagogical strategy that engages students in improving their communities.

Authors

• Adam Voight, Cleveland State University

• Molly Buckley-Marudas, Cleveland State University

• Rosalinda Godinez, Cleveland State University

• Amirhassan Javadi, Cleveland State University

• Katelyne Griffin-Todd, Cleveland State University