How Youth Participatory Action Research Can Empower Your Classroom

As an educator, you have a unique opportunity to empower the young minds you teach. While you may be delivering the lesson, it's vital to acknowledge that students have their perspectives and experiences. With youth participatory action research, also known as YPAR, you can give your students a chance to engage in the research process and create solutions from their unique perspectives. In this blog, we'll explore what YPAR is, how it works in a classroom, and the benefits it can offer.

1. What is YPAR? YPAR stands for youth participatory action research. YPAR is a research approach that encourages youth participation in identifying and addressing pressing social issues in their community. Rather than being told what to think, students get to ask crucial questions, gather information, and analyze findings to create solutions that affect their lives. It's an engaging and transformative process that can help students take control of their learning and development.

2. Why should I do YPAR? There are many reasons why you might want to do ypar in your classroom. Maybe you're not sure how to effectively teach a certain concept, or you want to find a better way to assess your students' learning. This approach centers the students perspectives, skills, and questions. Maybe you're curious about how a new instructional strategy will impact your students' engagement or achievement. Whatever your reason, YPAR can help you to improve your practice as a teacher and better meet the needs of your students.

3. How can I do YPAR in my classroom? There are many ways to go about doing YPAR in your classroom. One way is to have students choose a problem in their community that they care about to investigate. Then, students can design and conduct research. Once they have collected and analyzed their data, they can take action based on what they have learned. This makes learning authentic and lasting for students. Remember to:

   • Treat your students as the experts.

   • Help them investigate an issue close to their heart.

   • Make their work public and visible.

     Here is a resource I have that can help you and your students get started.

4. What are some examples of YPAR studies? Over the past weekend, I attended the American Educational Research Association (AERA)’s annual conference, which is the largest convening of education researchers in the world. While I was there, I got the chance to hear from youth researchers from NYC Public Schools. Here were two of their projects:

   • Addressing Inequity in Special Education

   • Exploring the Relationship Between Teacher Diversity and NYC Students’ Mental Health

5. Where can I learn more about YPAR?

   • The journal article “YPAR and Critical Epistemologies: Rethinking Education Research” (Caraballo et. al., 2017) published by SAGE

   • This video “Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR)” on YouTube

   • Check out Cyphers for Justice, a group of amazing New York based high-school students engaged in transformative research alongside scholars from Teachers College, Columbia University.

YPAR offers a unique opportunity to engage students in authentic research that is meaningful and relevant to their lives. By giving students a chance to contribute their insights and skills, educators can empower them to take control of their learning and development. YPAR is a transformative process that fosters critical thinking, leadership skills, and social responsibility – all crucial skills for success in the classroom and beyond. As an educator, consider incorporating YPAR into your classroom to cultivate a learning culture that is inclusive, empowering, and transformative. Your students – and your community – will thank you.

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