A study of participatory action research as professional development for educators in areas of educational disadvantage

Abstract

This paper presents the final analysis of a mixed methodological study of participatory action research (PAR) as professional development. The participants were administrators and teachers studying extreme educational disadvantage caused by homeless and transient living conditions. Two questions are answered:

1. What was the experience of educators with the PAR process?

2. Why might PAR be a useful tool in addressing educational disadvantage

This study adds to the debate on use of PAR and challenges its usual deployment in the United States as ‘teacher research.’ Results drive the conclusion that wide‐based, networked projects such as this can be a successful tool for adaptive leadership, allowing educators to address socio‐economic disparities in their classrooms and schools.

Keywords:

• Educational disadvantage
• Participatory action research
• Professional development