Critical Pedagogy and Praxis: Digital Storytelling and Participatory Action Research With Indigenous Youth

• In Event: Roundtable Session 87
  In Roundtable Session: Praxis, Pedagogy, and the Popular: Engaging Youth, Exploring Texts

Abstract

Although heavily theorized, examples of critical pedagogy in practice are less prevalent in research. This paper highlights the use of critical pedagogy and Participatory Action Research with Indigenous middle and high school students. We first discuss curriculum and culturally responsive pedagogy employed in the summer leadership camp and the use of critical pedagogy as a guiding framework for action. To answer the call for more examples of praxis, classroom methods to enact PAR with students, as well as the students’ products will be discussed. We outline the “ups and downs” of implementing PAR and critical pedagogy with Indigenous youth, and how the students’ digital stories led to a better and more nuanced understanding and analysis of the school push-out rate.

Authors

• Paula Groves Price, Washington State University

• Paul D. Mencke, Washington State University