Participatory Action Research Model Research Articles

Reflections on a Three-Year-Long Teacher-Centered, Participatory Action Research Experience on Teaching Chemical Bonding in a Swiss Vocational School

Chemistry is considered to be a difficult subject and chemistry education courses are not very popular among many students. Innovations in the curriculum and pedagogy may help to overcome difficulties in learning as well as motivational problems. Participatory action research (PAR) seems to be a suitable approach for developing such an innovation for the chemistry classroom. This paper reflects on the adoption of a PAR model to teacher-centered action research. A project is discussed aiming at iteratively improving lessons on chemical bonding in a Swiss vocational school. The lesson was focusing on self-determined, autonomous learning in small groups in a multimedia-supported learning environment to foster student motivation for learning. The project is based on the cooperation of a chemistry teacher and a PAR expert group of chemistry teachers operating far away from the school. The cooperation was implemented by synchronous and asynchronous digital communication. The lessons have been cyclically developed over three consecutive years of teaching. The findings from the current study indicate that the implemented practice of action research helped to both improve the teacher’s pedagogical repertoire for his chemistry lessons and contributed to the teacher’s continuing professional development in terms of better understanding how student-centered his lessons should be.

Cultura e inteligencia musical mediante la investigación como estrategia pedagógica en educación básica

The education has presented significant changes in the last years so from the teaching role it is necessary to implement dynamic strategies that are oriented to improve the students' competences, favoring the teaching-learning process. The objective of the study was to promote culture and musical intelligence through Research as a Pedagogical Strategy (IEP) in basic education. With a qualitative methodological design under the participatory action research (IAP) model, the data collection techniques used were the participant observation and the field diary. Regarding the beneficiary population, a stratified random sampling was carried out, using as an inclusion criterion the interest for culture, music and research, the sample consisted of one hundred (100) students with ages between six (6) and twelve (12) years, of all the primary levels of the IED Francisco de Paula Santander located in the Municipality of Magdalena Foundation. The results showed that through the culture and musical intelligence techniques are carried out that reinforce the memory, cognitive tasks for the learning, ways to solve the communicative problems, as well as activities that allow an assimilation of the contents in an efficient way, thanks to the creation of a favorable environment, companionship and cooperation among students.

Lectura y comprensión lectora mediante las tecnologías de la información y comunicación en educación básica

Reading plays an important role in the integral development of students, strengthening and enhancing their abilities of interpretation, understanding and basic communication skills for good school performance. The study sought to strengthen reading and reading comprehension through Information and Communication Technologies (TIC) in basic education. With a qualitative methodological design under the participatory action research (IAP) model, the data collection techniques used were the participant observation and the field diary. There were one hundred twenty-nine (129) participants from the Francisco de Paula Santander educational institution, José Maria Córdoba headquarters. The results of the observation showed weaknesses in the reading and reading comprehension processes, omitting and confusing letters, low verbal fluency and lack of interest in reading, for which the teachers designed pedagogical strategies based on ICT to solve this problem.

Combining participatory action research and appreciative inquiry to design, deliver and evaluate an interdisciplinary continuing education program for a regional health workforce.

Objective Continuing education (CE) is essential for a healthcare workforce, but in regional areas of Australia there are challenges to providing and accessing relevant, reliable and low-cost opportunities. The aim of the present study was to collaborate with the local regional healthcare workforce to design, deliver and evaluate an interdisciplinary CE (ICE) program. Methods A participatory action research (PAR) model combined with an appreciative inquiry (AI) framework was used to design, deliver and evaluate an ICE program. A focus group of 11 health professionals developed an initial program. Evaluation data from 410 program participants were analysed using AI. Results The ICE program addressed the CE barriers for the regional healthcare workforce because the locally derived content was delivered at a reasonable cost and in a convenient location. Program participants identified that they most valued shared experiences and opportunities enabling them to acquire and confirm relevant knowledge. Conclusion ICE programs enhance interdisciplinary collaboration. However, attendance constraints for regional healthcare workforce include location, cost, workplace and personal factors. Through community engagement, resource sharing and cooperation, a local university and the interdisciplinary focus group members successfully designed and delivered the local education and research nexus program to address a CE problem for a regional healthcare workforce. What is known about the topic? Participation in CE is mandatory for most health professionals. However, various barriers exist for regional health workers to attending CE. Innovative programs, such as webinars and travelling workshops, address some of the issues but create others. Bringing various health workers together for the simultaneous education of multiple disciplines is beneficial. Collectively, this is called ICE. What does this paper add? Using PAR combined with AI to design an ICE program will focus attention on the enablers of the program and meet the diverse educational needs of the healthcare workforce in regional areas. Engaging regional health professionals with a local university to design and deliver CE is one way to increase access to quality, cost-effective education. What are the implications for practitioners? Regional healthcare workers' CE needs are more likely to be met when education programs are designed by them and developed for them. ICE raises awareness of the roles of multiple healthcare disciplines. Learning together strengthens healthcare networks by bolstering relationships through a greater understanding of each other's roles. Enriching communication between local health workers has the potential to enhance patient care.

Shaping Core Health Messages: Rural, Low-Income Mothers Speak Through Participatory Action Research

ABSTRACTRural, low-income families are disproportionately impacted by health problems owing to structural barriers (e.g., transportation, health insurance coverage) and personal barriers (e.g., health literacy). This paper presents a Participatory Action Research (PAR) model of co-created Core Health Messages (CHMs) in the areas of dental health, food security, health insurance, and physical activity. The research project engaged a multi-disciplinary team of experts to design initial health messages; rural, low-income mothers to respond to, and co-create, health messages; and stakeholders who work with families to share their insights. Findings reveal the perceptions of mothers and community stakeholders regarding messages and channels of message dissemination. By using PAR, a learner engagement approach, the researchers intend to increase the likelihood that the CHMs are culturally appropriate and relevant to specific populations. The CHM-PAR model visually illustrates an interactive, iterative process of health message generation and testing. The paper concludes with implications for future research and outreach in a technological landscape where dissemination channels are dynamic. This paper provides a model for researchers and health educators to co-create messages in a desired format (e.g., length, voice, level of empathy, tone) preferred by their audiences and to examine dissemination methods that will best reach those audiences.

57 Take Charge of Burn Pain: Development and Feasibility

Burn related pain is a common experience post‐injury impacting physical, psychological and social recovery, and reducing long‐term function and community participation. While there have been extensive efforts to develop acute pain control strategies for use during the hospitalization phase of burn care, and self‐management pain management approaches have proven efficacy in other painful conditions, self‐management strategies for managing chronic pain due to burn injury have not been developed or tested. The goals of this project are to develop, and evaluate the efficacy of pain self-management, web‐based intervention, using an RCT design. This paper reports on the development of the program and provides data on the initial feasibility and acceptability. The the Take Charge of Burn Pain online self-management program (www.takechargeofburnpain.org) was developed in conjunction with the Phoenix Society, using a participatory action research model. This process resulted in a cognitive-behavioral based, 7 session, interactive program that utilizes the principles of self-management to provide knowledge, self-monitoring, pain coping skill development and practice. In the RCT, persons with burn related pain are randomized to standard care plus web-based education attention control) or standard care plus the TCB-Pain web-based self- management pain intervention. Patient reported outcomes are gathered via web-based questionnaires at baseline, 2 months and 5 month follow-up. Eligibility criteria are: 18 to 70 years of age, having experienced a burn injury requiring hospitalization at least 6 months prior to enrollment; 2) Reporting a pain severity score on the Brief Pain inventory of 4 (0‐10) or higher; 3) Reporting pain of at least 3 months duration; and 4) English speaking. The 108 participants are 56.5% female, 70% white, 14% Latino/Hispanic, 76% have more than high school education, and a mean age of 43. At program completion participants report high levels of satisfaction with the program (86% reported benefits equal or exceed effort put into the program). Of the 108 participants that have been enrolled 28 (26%) have not started the program and 12 (11%) inactive and 64 (60%) have completed. Participants report high levels of satisfaction with the program and perceive benefits at program completion. There are significant numbers of individuals who enroll in the program and do not complete. Additional research is needed to identify methods to enhance program completion and determine the long term impact on pain, pain interference, distress and quality of life. The Take Charge of Burn Pain program is designed to be part of a multi-modal pain program by providing an accessible, web‐based system, to develop evidenced‐based pain self‐management skills.

Multilingual learners in language assessment: assessment design for linguistically diverse communities

ABSTRACTThe assessments designed for and analyzed in this study used a task-based language design template rooted in theories of language reflecting heteroglossic language practices and funds of knowledge learning theories, which were understood as transforming classroom teaching, learning, and assessment through continua of biliteracy lenses. Using a participatory action research model, we created assessment instruments for pre-service English teachers in Oaxaca, Mexico, integrating language practices from communities and classrooms into assessments. Participants completed two reading and writing tasks. Task 1 was intentionally designed to engage learners’ English and Spanish languages resources. Task 2 was restricted to English-only. Our analyses indicated (1) that pre-service English teachers performed better on the multilingual task than the monolingual English task at a level of statistical significance and (2) that integrating multilingual resources within assessment design can allow test-takers to demonstrate more complex or high-order thinking skills in the language they are learning. We are offering some empirical evidence of an assessment approach that is consistent with the broadly supported principle of making use of all students’ linguistic resources for the purpose of teaching and learning.

Evaluating a novel Integrated Community of Care (ICoC) for patients from an urbanised low-income community in Singapore using the participatory action research (PAR) methodology: a study protocol

IntroductionPoorer health outcomes and disproportionate healthcare use in socioeconomically disadvantaged patients is well established. However, there is sparse literature on effective integrated care interventions that specifically target these high-risk individuals....

Automation Solutions in Indian Small and Tiny Manufacturing Sector: Validating an Implementation Model

The small and tiny manufacturing sector in India have missed out on the many technological advancements in the automation solutions being offered in the manufacturing sector due to various impeding factors. The impeding factors include the high initial investment requirement and the high cost of implementation thus rendering the solutions unaffordable. The small and tiny manufacturing sector with its lower potential to tap into the scale economies find themselves constrained to reap the benefits of automation. The lack of technical ongoing support and training contributed by their exorbitance and inaccessibility adds to this impedance and deters the long-term sustenance of the solution. This article attempts to elucidate a remedy that partly resolves these impeding factors by assimilating the merits of an implementation model. The model was tested out in a few projects, one of which is elaborated here. The research methodology adopted is a mix of participatory action research and agile model of implementation. The authors were actively involved as drivers of this automation solution. The article validates and offers a remedy for scenarios where the mentioned factors are relevant. Conclusively, it underlines adherence to an implementation model for the project’s successful implementation and for the sustenance of such implementations.

Misiones interculturales: responsabilidad social universitaria y desarrollo local sostenible

Misiones interculturales es un proyecto de investigación y acción comunitaria impulsado desde la universidad Jaume I de Castellón que responde a un doble objetivo: cumplir con el compromiso de la institución educativa con el desarrollo local sostenible, y desarrollar una investigación capaz de propiciar el analisis crítico de la realidad y la concientización colectiva desde un diálogo igualitario entre diferentes agentes sociales. El estudio se ha llevado a cabo en dos municipios castellonenses y se centra en la potencialidad que los espacios de aprendizaje no formales e informales tienen para construir una ciudadanía inclusiva, crítica, solidaria y comprometida con la mejora de su entorno. La metodología utilizada se inscribe en la investigación acción participativa y el equipo de trabajo incluye personal de la universidad, estudiantado, voluntariado de diversa procedencia y colectivos ciudadanos de las redes locales. De las conclusiones del proceso se deriva una mejora en la percepción de los participantes sobre dos cuestiones: las posibilidades transformadoras de la acción colectiva igualitaria sobre los territorios, y la incidencia de la universidad como elemento dinamizador del desarrollo y la responsabilidad social.
 Palabras clave: responsabilidad social universitaria; educación para la sostenibilidad; aprendizaje informal; desarrollo local; interculturalidad.

Mapping the terrain of strategic politics among social change-oriented youth

ABSTRACTThis paper explores the ‘everyday’ politics of social change-oriented (SCO) youth. We apply an everyday network of youth politics approach in order to explore the lived experience of politics for SCO youth, accessing how they understand, negotiate, and actualize youth politics. Our study demonstrates that SCO youth negotiate politics through everyday, localized, and relational networks. Utilizing a youth-led participatory action research model, we present qualitative findings drawn from interviews conducted by SCO youth-researchers among their SCO youth peers.

Authenticity, aims and authority: Navigating youth participatory action research in the classroom

ABSTRACTMotivated by the addition of a curriculum standard for active citizenship into New Jersey's social studies standards a group of educators and researchers set out to integrate an action research curriculum, based on a youth participatory action research (YPAR) model, into social studies classrooms. Adapting YPAR, with its promising blend of critical thinking, civic engagement, and democratization, for use as in the classroom is appealing to those seeking to use education as a means of social change. But activism does not always translate neatly to the classroom; melding multiple purposes into one approach, particularly amidst the current push for standardization and accountability measures, is complex. This analysis considers three challenges to navigate when reshaping YPAR into a curriculum for classroom use - preserving authenticity, conflicting aims, and tensions around authority. Drawing upon qualitative data from the social studies classrooms of two public high schools, this article engages directly with the difficulties inherent in adapting a methodology premised on action, authenticity, and youth empowerment to the adult driven, extrinsically oriented, skills and content-focused world of the classroom. Understanding this shift, and the epistemological tensions underlying it, is essential for those wishing to integrate action research with youth into social studies classrooms.

Popular Music as Public Health Technology: Music for Global Human Development and “Giving Voice to Health” in Liberia

This article presents an applied ethnomusicological approach to public health promotion, showing how mediated popular music can support better sanitation behavior, by outlining a pilot project conducted in post-conflict Liberia. This approach centers on a method for effective, sustainable, empowering, and ethical collaboration and a theory for positive behavioral change. The method is Participatory Action Research (PAR), a powerful model for applied, collaborative ethnomusicology. The PAR model radically revises the relationship between “researcher” and “researched,” combining committed, egalitarian participation , transformative action , and applied research aimed at positive, sustainable social change, in a continuous spiral of planning, acting, observing, and reflecting. The theory is the social psychological notion of “reasoned action” (Fishbein and Ajzen 1975), as applied to public health by Hubley (1984; 1988; 1993) to underscore the combined roles of beliefs, values, and subject norms to influence behavioral intentions toward health. I augment this theory, highlighting music’s affective potential for shaping belief, value, and subject norms. Taken together, theory and method support what I call “human development,” defined as progress toward collaboratively-set humanly-oriented objectives, via grassroots, egalitarian, empowering collaborations. The pilot project is enacted by a far-flung PAR network, including nationals of Liberia, the USA, and Canada, connecting creative music/video production, ethnomusicology, public health, and development. Project outputs include a music video and a documentary video, linked through common sounds, images, and purpose. Each is “double-sided,” seeking to change behavior in both the developing and developed worlds. The article assesses project limitations and charts strategies to address them in the future.

COMMUNITY BASED EMPOWERMENT: STUDI PADA KELOMPOK USAHA BERSAMA “SEDAP MELATI” DI DUSUN BABADAN, SITIMULYO, PIYUNGAN, BANTUL, YOGYAKARTA

This study aims to determine the efforts of a small Entreprise of Sedap Melati in resolving some problems related to the issue of developing its productive process. Two theories used in this study, which are communication action theory of Habermas and empowerment of If’s theory. The method used in this study is a qualitative research method using a Participatory Action Research (PAR) model. To collect the data, several methods are used including: observation, interviews, FGD (Focus Group Discussion) and documentation. Interpretative methods of data analysis is done by comparing, sifting through and combining various data residing in the same context, the audit trial (checking the raw data, analyzing them, and making conclusions process) as well as a review by related parties are seriously considered. The results show that Kube Sedap Melati has facing some serious constraints in its development, such as the issue of human resources, marketing, and infrastructure facilities. Some efforts have been undertaken by Kube Sedap Melati to overcome these problems. For the issue of transportation, for example, members of Kube Sedap Melati agrred to hire transports to deliver their products to consumers. They also aware of the needs of having a better promotions, including the use of internet and social media. Based on the analysis using communication actions’ theory of Habermas, there is a necessary for all members of Kube Sedap Melati to establish an open communication between members and administrators, either in a formal or informal ways. Mutual trust among the members is essential in order to overcome their human resource problem. In the context of empowerment, Kube Sedap Melati can actualize in three sides: fist, to create a conducive atmosphere to develop and maximize their potentials; second, to strengthen their competitiveness to other similar enterprises; and third, to protect a strong group and prevent unhealthy competition among them. Other potentials that need to be considered is to include religious practices and traditions of the community as an important source of income through providing some snacks and foods in every religious events or traditions conducted by members of community

Envisioning future forested landscapes in Sweden – Revealing local-national discrepancies through participatory action research

Governance of forested landscapes must account for multiple interests and perspectives through public and stakeholder participation. In the context of Swedish forestry, participation has mainly been implemented as a top-down venture, without adequate integration of all interests. Linking local interests to national policy-making through participatory action research and future-oriented methodologies has not yet been tried in Sweden. We develop and implement a participatory action research model with the objectives to (i) facilitate a discussion among local stakeholders about their common future in relation to their forested landscapes and, (ii) to connect the local level with the national, institutional level. First, local stakeholders are brought together to create commonly desired visions in case studies of two forested landscapes in Sweden. Second, national policy-makers are engaged in a discussion on how to achieve the locally-desired visions. The ability of the two-step participatory action research model to achieve these objectives is then evaluated based on norms of Communicative Action and criteria of participatory planning. The results demonstrate the positive opportunity to engage local stakeholders in a constructive discussion about their common future, but also show some practical constraints of participatory methods, in particular the risk of institutional authorities disregarding local knowledge and claims.

What Will Be in Those Lap Tops: Empowering Students and Teachers to Add Content to an Educational Chatbot's Knowledge Base

The Government of Kenya has in the recent past been on a serious footing to put in place ICT initiatives and projects aimed at realizing the potential within its recognition of ICT as a foundation for a knowledge economy as per vision 2030. The tempo has risen several notches higher with the current intention and initiative of making available laptops to pupils and students in primary schools in the years to come. However, once computer hardware is available to schools as PC's, Laptops and other mobile computing devices, a critical issue which must be adequately addressed is the educational content within. This paper outlines a possible approach using open source software development concepts and the Participatory Action Research (PAR) model as a means of empowering students and teachers to become active developers of the content they consume.

Pedagogic Leadership in Higher Education Using Participatory Action Research Strategies - Illustrative Cases from Three Pedagogical Development Contexts

Introduction: In higher education there is a constant need for developments that are sustainable and enhanced quality. The academic leader plays a significant role in that work, which ultimately aims to result in beneficial outcomes for the students. This paper describes how participatory action research as a democratic and inclusive method, can facilitate the academic’s participation in their own, as well as in academic programmes’ quality enhancement. Objectives: The aim was to illustrate and describe how academic leaders can engage teachers in pedagogical developmental work, such as curriculum development, pedagogic profiles, pedagogical reviews, by using a participatory action research perspective. Methods: A multiple case study enables the researcher to explore differences within and between cases. In this study, three cases have used a Participatory Action Research model as theoretical frame, to illustrate their quality improvement processes. Results: All three interventions illustrate improvement processes developed and tested by academic leaders in a university setting, having in common that the teachers involved reflected on the task from their own perspectives. Conclusion: Our work indicates that these educational approaches have a potential to be of guidance in developing future educational activities, since they spur reflection and participation.

Reflections on a shared leadership approach to curriculum development in higher education

South African universities today must prepare teachers to meet the needs of diverse learners, including disabilities, linguistic differences, and extrinsic barriers to learning. This need was highlighted in the Education White Paper 6 which challenged South African schools to begin serving the needs of all learners, moving to an inclusive model and away from a segregated service model focused on deficits. This article was informed by a study in which we used a participatory action research model and an interpretative paradigm to analyse our learning about the challenges of effective leadership and about ourselves as co-leaders involved in curriculum development work. Based on the results, recommendations are made for faculty teams doing similar work in response to governmental policy initiatives. Keywords: leadership, teams, curriculum development, teacher education, inclusive education, Education White Paper

Participatory Action Research Model for Sustainable Community Based Tourism Development

This research aims to develop sustainable community based tourism by adapting the concept of participatory action research model or PAR model for a case study of Ubolrat district, Khon Kaen province, Thailand. The PAR model in this study consists of three circles starting with: 1) the investigation of problem finding and the analysis of tourism capacities; 2) the policy development and practicing of community based tourism at the site; and 3) the evaluation of sustainable tourism development and plan revising. The tourism development application in each circle of the PAR model is based on the research findings covering 68 villages from questionnaires, site surveys, in-depth interviews, and seven-time brainstorming with key policy-makers at the district and provincial levels.

Witnesses to Hunger: Methods for Photovoice and Participatory Action Research in Public Health

Food insecurity is an under-recognized public health crisis in the United States affecting 19.5 percent of households with children and 35.4 percent of female-headed households with children. In 2013, approximately 15.8 million children (21.4%) lived in households that reported food insecurity, and 8.5 million children (23.7%) under age six lived in food insecure households. Lack of public attention and recent decisions by policymakers to cut nutrition assistance programs call into question current efforts to raise awareness and communicate about hunger and its public health impacts. As one contribution, we describe the methods of Witnesses to Hunger, a photovoice and participatory action research model of collaboration with low-income caregivers of young children who participate in nutrition assistance programs and offer solutions to public health professionals, policymakers, and journalists.