We Have Something to Say: Youth Participatory Action Research as a Promising Practice to Address Problems of Practice in Rural Schools

The purpose of this article is to highlight a critical approach for practice, youth participatory action research, that can be used to invite rural youth to collaborate with school administrators, educators, and community leaders to identify and examine challenges, while building upon the strengths...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe Rural educator (Fort Collins, Colo.) Vol. 41; no. 3; pp. 43 - 54
Main Authors Means, Darris, Blackmon, Sydney, Drake, Elizabeth, Lawrence, Paris, Jackson, Angel, Strickland, Anna, Willis, Jenay
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Norman National Rural Education Association 2020
Subjects
Access to Education
Action Research
Alliances
Collaboration
College Preparation
Community
Conferences (Gatherings)
Data Analysis
Enrollments
Equal Education
Families & family life
High School Students
Higher education
Leadership Training
Learning Resources Centers
Participatory Research
Photography
Postsecondary Education
postsecondary education access
Research Methodology
Researchers
Rural areas
Rural Education
Rural schools
Rural Youth
School Libraries
Secondary schools
Socioeconomic factors
Students
Teachers
youth participatory action research
Georgia
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Summary:The purpose of this article is to highlight a critical approach for practice, youth participatory action research, that can be used to invite rural youth to collaborate with school administrators, educators, and community leaders to identify and examine challenges, while building upon the strengths of a school and community to address challenges. Our youth participatory action research project was a collaboration between adult researchers and five students from a rural high school to examine and address postsecondary education access challenges. The adult and student researchers developed and implemented two evidence-based products: (a) a conference and (b) a resource corner in the school library. Student co-researchers demonstrated an increased commitment to the project, development of postsecondary education knowledge, and development as leaders during the project. Our project demonstrates evidence of youth participatory action research being an effective approach to address problems of practice in rural education.
ISSN:0273-446X
2643-9662
DOI:10.35608/ruraled.v41i3.1074