Challenges of participation in cross-cultural Action Research

Abstract

Abstract In this article, the challenges of conducting participatory action research in cross-cultural contexts where different historical, political, social, and cultural backgrounds of the participants mark the interaction are discussed. Empirical data is drawn from a one-year educational development project including participants residing in a country in Sub Saharan Africa and in a country in Northern Europe. As participation is one of the crucial and controversial issues in conducting action research, it is scrutinised through several key incidents that took place during the project period. These will illustrate the complex dynamics of collaboration between the participating actors, such as researchers and teacher educators on one hand, and schoolteachers on the other, who came together to conduct participatory action research. In the concluding discussion, the importance and challenges of exercising participatory practices, and nurturing collaboration beyond differences are further elaborated and some recommendations presented. Keywords: Participatory action research, global North, global South, collaboration, research ethics, ICT for development ----- Desafios de la participacion en la investigacion-accion transcultural Entradilla En este articulo son discutidos los desafios de llevar a cabo la investigacion- accion participativa en contextos transculturales, en donde diferentes contextos historicos, politicos, sociales y culturales de los participantes marcan la interaccion. Los datos empiricos se extraen de un proyecto de desarrollo educativo de un ano, incluyendo participantes que ropa. Como la participacion es uno de los temas cruciales y controvertidos en la conduccion de la investigacion-accion, este es examinado a traves de varios incidentes claves que tuvieron lugar durante el periodo del proyecto. Estos ilustraran la compleja dinamica de la colaboracion entre los actores participantes, como investigadores y maestros educadores, por un lado, y maestros de la escuela, por el otro, que se unieron para llevar a cabo la investigacion-accion participativa. En la discusion final, se elabora detalladamente la importancia y los desafios de ejercer practicas participativas, consolidando la colaboracion mas alla de las diferencias, y se presentan algunas recomendaciones. Palabras clave: Investigacion-Accion Participativa, Norte Global, Sur Global, Colaboracion, Etica de la Investigacion, ICT para el Desarrollo