scholarly journals University–Community Partnerships Using a Participatory Action Research Model to Evaluate the Impact of Dance for Health

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rahshida Atkins ◽  
Janet Deatrick ◽  
Cory Bowman ◽  
Ansley Bolick ◽  
Ian McCurry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Skill Acquisition ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Impact

Little is known about fostering sustainable, collaborative community-academic partnerships that effectively improve physical activity and health in residents of under resourced communities using Participatory Action Research (PAR) driven models. The purpose of this PAR study was to evaluate the impact of an urban, intergenerational, and physical activity dance program by identifying community preferred measurable outcomes that promote program participation and sustainability. A descriptive, qualitative design was employed using semi-structured interview guides to facilitate discussions for two adult focus groups and one youth focus group. Exactly 19 community-residing adults and six youth who lived in urban neighborhoods in West Philadelphia participated in the discussions. The audiotapes were transcribed and analyzed using directed content analysis. Five outcome themes emerged and included: (1). Enhancing the psychological and emotional well-being of the individual, (2). Enhancement of social well-being and management of interpersonal relationships and responsibilities (3). Enhancing and promoting physiologic well-being (4). Changes in health promoting behaviors and skill acquisition, and (5). Concerns about accessibility of dance for health and other physical activity programs in the community. Focused attention to measuring community preferred outcomes can promote sustainability of Dance for Health and possibly other urban-based physical activity dance programs.

Evaluation of an Active Citizenship Intervention Based on Youth-Led Participatory Action Research

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (6) ◽  
pp. 894-904
Author(s):  
Gabriele Prati ◽  
Davide Mazzoni ◽  
Antonella Guarino ◽  
Cinzia Albanesi ◽  
Elvira Cicognani
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Institutional Trust ◽  
Active Citizenship ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Political Alienation ◽  
The Impact

Youth-led participatory action research (YPAR) is a theoretical–methodological approach that has been designed to promote positive development (e.g., well-being and health, social–emotional and cognitive development, academic or career advancement) and civic engagement among young people. Although YPAR holds particular promise, there has been little systematic assessment of its effects. Moreover, no study has investigated the role of YPAR in the promotion of active citizenship. We report on an effectiveness evaluation of a YPAR project designed to promote European active citizenship (i.e., identification and attitudes toward a political entity, institutional trust, participation, and political alienation) and social well-being among adolescents. Our sample included 69 Italian high school students (35 in the intervention group; 34 in the control group). We evaluated the impact of YPAR using a pretest–posttest control group design and fitting the generalized estimating equations procedure. The results showed that participants in the intervention group reported increased scores on social well-being, institutional trust, and participation and decreased scores on political alienation compared with the control group. We found no significant effects for identification as European and attitudes toward a political entity. Findings support the benefits of YPAR in terms of social well-being and active citizenship.

“Different but connected”: Participatory action research using Photovoice to explore well-being in autistic young adults

Autism ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (5) ◽  
pp. 1246-1259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary Yu Hin Lam ◽  
Emily Holden ◽  
Megan Fitzpatrick ◽  
Linda Raffaele Mendez ◽  
Karen Berkman
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
School Transition ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Transition Program ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Autistic Community

Past research has largely focused on the negative aspects of well-being of autistic young adults during the post-school transition. Research that meaningfully includes autistic individuals and captures their perspectives of positive well-being is essential for stakeholders to better understand how to provide services that respond to the needs and wants of the autistic community. In the current study, 14 autistic young adults in a post-school transition program participated in a Photovoice project and used photos to express their ideas about well-being. A participatory action research approach was used to support participants’ active engagement in the research processes and to encourage meaningful expression of their first-person perspectives. Results revealed an account of well-being reflecting expressions of individuality and growth, the significance of having close relationships, and a sense of connection with the community. This study has implications for research and practice that promotes well-being among the autistic community using approaches that are ethically informed and inclusive of autistic voices. Lay abstract Past research has mainly focused on autistic people’s deficits and poor outcomes compared to other groups of people. Little is known about their positive life experiences, and how to support them to achieve a higher quality of life. It is important to include autistic individuals in research so that they can influence how their voices are represented in a meaningful way and how the research results will be useful to them. In this study, a university researcher collaborated with 14 autistic young adults in a post-school transition program to design and run the research, collect and analyze the data, and use the results to create a presentation to the community. Specifically, the participants took photos in daily life and discussed their ideas about what a good life means to them. Results showed that these young adults described themselves as uniquely and different, but they were eager to learn and adapt. They also valued their relationships with their families, friends, and animals around them, as well as the community at large. This research shows that autistic individuals have important perspectives to share and knowledge to contribute when they are given the opportunities to participate in different aspects of research. The findings will be useful in developing services and influencing policies that promote well-being among autistic adults.

Spaces and places for popular education and participatory action research

2020 ◽  
pp. 41-56
Author(s):  
Marjorie Mayo
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
Lifelong Learning ◽  
Public Services ◽  
Popular Education ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Community Based Education ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Informal Settings

Governments have supported popular education initiatives in the past. And so have community organisations and social movements. But the spaces for popular education have been shrinking in recent times, as part of the impact of neo-liberal globalisation. Public services have been increasingly subjected to pressures from market forces, pressures that have impacted on community-based education and lifelong learning. Despite these wider pressures, educators have continued to find spaces and places for popular education and participatory action research, however, working across sectors in a variety of contexts. The chapter includes examples of innovatory approaches in both formal settings and informal settings (such as libraries and community centres) including examples from both Northern and Southern American contexts.

scholarly journals Reflections From Co-Researchers With Intellectual Disability: Benefits to Inclusion in a Research Study Team

2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 251-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brittany St. John ◽  
Iulia Mihaila ◽  
Katelyn Dorrance ◽  
Leann Smith DaWalt ◽  
Karla K. Ausderau
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
Research Participation ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Research Staff ◽  
Study Team ◽  
Academic Faculty ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Participatory action research methodologies may empower and protect marginalized individuals; however, they remain underutilized. Limited studies have investigated the impact of participatory action research, specifically on individuals with intellectual disability (ID). This study examines (1) the perspectives of co-researchers with ID on their involvement in the research process and (2) the feasibility of their inclusion based on perspectives of research staff (academic faculty and graduate students without ID). Three co-researchers with ID were interviewed regarding their research participation. Thematic analysis of interviews identified four themes: (1) Shared Experience of Disability, (2) Teaching and Guidance, (3) Acquisition of Skills and Knowledge, and (4) Value of Participation. Research staff reviewed field notes and identified benefits and challenges to feasibility of including co-researchers with ID. Inclusion of co-researchers with ID was found to be both meaningful and feasible.

Reflections on Participatory Action Research: The Case of Low-Income Women Accessing Local Physical Activity services

1997 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 8-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy Frisby ◽  
Susan Crawford ◽  
Therese Dorer
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Resistance To Change ◽  
Poverty Line ◽  
Power Structures ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Action Research Project ◽  
Active Involvement

In contrast to traditional approaches to research, participatory action research calls for the active involvement of the community—including both the beneficiaries and providers of sport services—in defining research problems, executing interventions, interpreting results, and designing strategies to change existing power structures. The purpose of this paper was to analyze a participatory action research project designed to increase the access of women living below the poverty line and their families to local physical activity services. A framework developed by Green et al. (1995) formed the basis of the analysis. To place the analysis in context, the historical origins and theoretical assumptions underlying participatory action research were addressed. The case of the Women's Action Project demonstrated how the process can result in a more inclusive local sport system and, at the same time, provide a rich setting for examining organizational dynamics including collaborative decision-making, community partnerships, power imbalances, resource control, resistance to change, and nonhierarchical structures.

scholarly journals Methodological Challenges in Participatory Action Research with Undocumented Central American Migrants

2011 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 22-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Brinton Lykes ◽  
Rachel M. Hershberg ◽  
Kalina M. Brabeck
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
Immigrant Families ◽  
Assistant Professor ◽  
Central American ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Early Stages ◽  
Senior Scholar ◽  
Methodological Challenges ◽  
The Impact

An interdisciplinary participatory action research (PAR) project was designed in collaboration with local immigrant organizations to document the impact of deportation policy on Central American immigrant families living in the northeastern U.S. This paper reports on selected methodological challenges of university-based co-researchers in this community-university PAR process which is currently concluding its fourth year. The paper discusses the iterative action-reflection processes focusing on: (1) an overview of the PAR project and its multiple phases within the U.S. and in Guatemala; (2) select challenges and contributions of the PAR approach for participating immigrant families “living in the shadows” and, (3) methodological concerns from the three coauthors, who include a graduate student who joined the early stages of partnership-building; an assistant professor in the early stages of her career; and a senior scholar with many years of experience in activist scholarship. We conclude with thoughts on why, despite these challenges, PAR is “worth the trouble”.

scholarly journals "Everybody knows by hearing but not by seeing": Exploring the use of photovoice to document challenges of some inter-provincial students at the University of Danang, Vietnam

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Duc Tran
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Research Process ◽  
University Administrators ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

<p>This research employed a Participatory Action Research methodology to work with minority inter-provincial students and unearth their lived experiences at the University of Danang in Vietnam. It focused on examining the undervaluation of inter-provincial students’ voices in the university’s policies – and to a wider extent, in most Vietnamese universities – by facilitating a process in which their challenges and ideas for change at university could be heard.  This research also sought to observe and analyse the influences of power dynamics within a Confucian-heritaged context on the participatory research process itself. Vietnam is believed to be a society in which hierarchical power takes its deepest roots due to the effects of Confucianism. By using Participatory Action Research with a variety of methods – photovoice, diagraming, group discussion, interviewing and exhibition – I sought to facilitate student voices and document some of the potential and constraints of the methodology within this cultural context.  The research involved eleven student participants and ten teacher participants over a period of six weeks. Data was collectively analysed and shared by student participants with invited teachers through an exhibition at the University of Danang. Throughout the process, I took extensive field notes of my observations and interactions with participants. Data analysis was then written and presented in this thesis based on what participants had provided. Key themes that this thesis explores are: (1) challenges that faced inter-provincial students, (2) the impact of Confucius hierarchical power on participants’ involvement and ownership in the research and (3) the role of language and emotion when undertaking Participatory Action Research in such a context.  The process generated clear evidence of the common challenges facing interprovincial students associated with limited finances, mentality/spirituality, and poor living conditions. From analysis of these challenges, the research provides recommendations for teachers, university administrators and policy-makers. These recommendations promote a more holistic pedagogy that better encourages students to develop themselves throughout their time at university.  The thesis also concludes that the use of Participatory Action Research within higher education settings in Vietnam can serve as a research model for the betterment of disadvantaged minority students. It could help minimise the effects of neoliberalism on the country’s higher education sector and foster better development outcomes for students and their home provinces.</p>

scholarly journals Immediate influences of hygiene education sessions on handwashing behaviors of selected Nepali students

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 979-985
Author(s):  
Govinda Prasad Devkota ◽  
Sheri Bastien ◽  
Petter D. Jenssen ◽  
Manoj K. Pandey ◽  
Bhimsen Devkota ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
School Students ◽  
Research Committee ◽  
Basic Level ◽  
Handwashing With Soap

Abstract Appropriate handwashing can prevent 50–70% of water and foodborne infections. However, schoolchildren who are in the formative stage of life, particularly in low-income countries like Nepal, are deprived of such a lifesaving skill. This study investigates the effectiveness of a school-based participatory action research intervention to promote handwashing with soap among basic level community school students in Nepal. Teachers, the school management committee, the participatory action research committee, and child-club members actively participated in designing and implementing the intervention. This study employed a semi-structured interview with the headteacher, five focus group discussions, and spot observations during 50 handwashing with soap events involving students, to collect the data. This study assesses the handwashing situation of students before and after the intervention. As part of the intervention, participatory teaching methods such as singing, drawing, showing a video, games, and demonstrations were used. Findings from basic level students who actively participated in hygiene sessions and increased their handwashing with soap before meals and after toilet use were used as a comparison to baseline. Participants reported that the intervention was perceived positively, pragmatic, and cost-effective. This intervention study concluded that handwashing behaviors improved because of the influence of sensitization sessions and demonstrations about handwashing. However, some predominant issues in the teaching of handwashing practices include limited hygiene contents in the curriculum and the practical use of teaching and learning activities. The lack of availability of soap at handwashing stations is the main barrier in sustaining handwashing behaviors in schoolchildren.

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