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Expanding the Boundaries within School Curriculum through Youth Participatory Action Research

Expanding the Boundaries within School Curriculum through Youth Participatory Action Research. Adrienne Duke University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension . Outline. Ashland Girls Youth Participatory Action Research Project What is Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR)

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Expanding the Boundaries within School Curriculum through Youth Participatory Action Research

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  1. Expanding the Boundaries within School Curriculum through Youth Participatory Action Research Adrienne Duke University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension

  2. Outline • Ashland Girls Youth Participatory Action Research Project • What is Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) • Freirean approach • Beyond the Boundaries of Traditional Curriculum • Crossing borders towards integration

  3. Chase Charter School 8 African American girls Atlas Middle School 7 African American girls Open recruitment Self-selected group Volunteer their time Girls Participatory Action Research Project in Ashland

  4. Why they joined the team? • “I want to show them that Black girls are smart” • “I wanted to be in an all Black girl group” • “They never let us do stuff like this so I want to show them that Black kids can do the same stuff that white kids can do” • “I wanted to learn more” • “I thought this would be interesting”

  5. Youth Participatory Action Research • Involves youth that have been historically marginalized - racial/ethnic minorities, poor and working class youth, girls • Centers the youths’ experience; in this case African American girls • Partnership with adults/researchers to identify areas/issues of concern from their perspective • Youth learn more about the issue through reading and research. • They conduct a study of their choosing. • Youth sharing findings and take action

  6. Freirean Approach YPAR context • “Traditional educational methods transforms students into receiving objects. It attempts to control thinking, action, and inhibits their creative power” (Freire, 1970, p. 77).  • Restores the Humanness of youth • Values the knowledge of African American girls; treats them as knowledgeable people • Creates a context of respect • Engages in critical conversations about the world around them • Allows for creativity and decision-making

  7. Beyond Boundaries of Traditional Curriculum • Critical critique of literature • Exposure to Social Science Methods (Observations, Interviewing, Focus Groups) • Community Building • Cooperative Learning • Praxis: gaining a critical awareness and acting

  8. Crossing the Borders • Beginning stages: • Treating it as a class • Allowing them to get credit • Main Objective is Full Integration • Talking to those who influence curriculum • Explain how it can map on to the current curriculum and its benefits

  9. I have seen girls utilize: • Leadership skills • Listening skills • Social skills through building a new social network • Reading skills • Critical thinking • Collaboration • Compromise and conflict resolution

  10. Adrienne Duke amduke@wisc.edu

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