title: A case study of participatory action research in a public new England middle school: empowerment, constraints and challenges.
abstract: PAR recognizes teachers and students as co-creators in a learning process that builds self-efficacy essential to long-term educational success. In enabling contexts, PAR projects also allow teachers to critically deconstruct societal power, examine how these dynamics are reproduced in the classroom, and work against the silencing of student voices. This case study describes the process of implementing an inquiry-based PAR model into a formal urban middle school program intended to reduce drop out rates. The anthropologist/researchers employed participant observation, interviews, and review of student work to explore the dynamics, challenges, and constraints confronted during the process. The intervention demonstrated the gap between practice and theory in a middle school environment marked by well-defined hierarchies and roles as well as high-stakes testing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, CT 06050, USA. Phillipse@ccsu.edu
authors.forename: Evelyn Newman
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: Marlene J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Berg
authors.forename: Chiedza
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: Damion
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Morgan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research / Q000379:methods*; D004522:Educational Status; D005178:Faculty; D006801:Humans; D009511:New England; D011057:Politics; D011640:Public Policy; D012107:Research Design; D012574:Schools / Q000458:organization & administration; D012931:Social Environment; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology