Artistically Speaking: Students Teaching Faculty About Diversity Through Participatory Action Research

• In Event: 26.035 - Participatory Action Research for Institutional Change: Reconsidering Diversity Training, Access, and Retention of Historically Marginalized Populations

Abstract

Purpose
Flip the script was a student-led workshop series where nine undergraduate First Generation College Students (FGCS) shared their student stories of motivations, challenges, and visions for their future, followed by a “What’s next?” workshop where students and faculty planned action-oriented responses to student-identified needs and goals. This study documented and analyzed what happens when students, faculty, and staff explore relationships, connections, and purposes of the educational experiences of FGCS in a Hispanic and Native American serving institution. This action-research project focused on improving educational experiences and success of FGCS at a small university in the northwest United States.

Theoretical framework
Studies show that FGCS are more likely to drop out, receive lower grades, and feel socially isolated than their peers (Collier & Morgan, 2007; Minikel-Lococque, 2013). Moreover, Latino and Native American students have high attrition rates (Chavez et al., 2012). This project expands upon four themes in research literature about successful FGCS through a critical framework of inclusion (Tienda, 2013): faculty and student relationships, connections to peers and staff, carefully considering the purpose of education, and valuing students’ connection to local spaces (Brayboy & Maughan, 2009; Chavez et al., 2013; Nadler & Nadler, 2000; Tienda, 2013; Tinto, 1993 & Waldek, 2006).

Modes of inquiry
We combined arts-based methods (de Roux, 1991; Reason, 1994) and Participatory Action Research (PAR) to make room for critical pedagogical work where participants could express themselves and engage multiple levels of consciousness. PAR (Green et al., 2003) and critical pedagogy (Freire, 1970) were combined as a methodology to engage with participants in knowledge production (Cammarota & Fine, 2008). This research design was a collaborative process where the researcher did initial coding and students evaluated emerging themes and action-based results through group dialogue and the creation of a documentary film.

Data sources
Data included (1) field notes about creating the workshop series with students, (2) faculty pre and post surveys, (3) film of student-led workshops, (4) workshop observation notes, (5) documents (e.g., group plans) and artifacts (e.g., art work), (6) semi-structured interviews of workshop participants, and (7) a student-created documentary.

Results
Preliminary results include an invitation for students to co-facilitate the university-wide faculty day (fall 2014), advancing culturally relevant pedagogies in core curriculum (e.g., statistics), extending campus hours to accommodate student needs, and numerous opportunities for student-participants to advance their professional goals. One student-participant stated this, “I think there was growth in all of our parts based upon mutual respect…” A faculty member affirmed the workshop saying, “It’s so valuable for our students to meet with us as equals in a collaboration.”

Significance of the study
This project addresses gaps in the literature about FGCS by responding to the question of how to create ethnically integrated spaces on college campuses (Tienda, 2013). It makes a valuable contribution methodologically since extent studies on FGCS rarely engage arts-based PAR. This student-motivated project centered on diversity and challenged the university to rethink diverse knowledges and consider collaborative design for building on the strengths and insight of FGCS.

Author

• Joy Howard, Heritage University