Teacher Agency in School‑Based Youth Participatory Action Research

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 9:45 am - Gold 1
  In Roundtable Session: Lead Where You Are: Collaboration and Pedagogical Innovation in Context

Abstract

Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) represents a promising approach to critically relevant civic education, positioning students as co-researchers exploring community issues, analyzing root causes, and advocating for change. This study examines agency—defined as the capacity to take strategic, purposeful actions within institutional constraints—exercised by several dozen educators taking part in a school-based YPAR initiative. Findings highlight the creative reimagining of conventional classroom structures related to time, hierarchy, and space, fostering more dynamic learning environments. Educators adopted new roles and practices, significantly reshaping traditional boundaries and enabling liberatory and humanizing educational experiences.

Authors

• Kampanart Chaiyarat, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Noa Ovadia, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Beth C. Rubin, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Maya Berrol-Young, Teachers College, Columbia University