Presentation Transcript

1. YPAR in the Classroom

   a participatory action research approach to meet state social studies standards and improve civic learning
2. Mayida Zaal, Montclair State University Beth Rubin, Rutgers University Jennifer Ayala, Saint Peters College University Collaborators
3. Teacher Collaborators Anne Baney Amir Billips Brian Ford Millie Harris Shana Stein
4. All students will acquire the skills needed to be active, informed citizens who value diversity and promote cultural understanding by working collaboratively to address challenges that are inherent in living in an interconnected world. - New Jersey Core Content Curriculum Standards for Social Studies Standard 6.3: Active Citizenship in the 21st Century
5. Three-quarters of 4th and 12th graders and Four-fifths of 8th graders in the U.S. …rank below proficient on this national measure of civic knowledge. NAEP Civics 2010
6. The New York Times reported that “… a smaller proportion of fourth and eighth graders demonstrated proficiency in civics than in any other subject the federal government has tested since 2005, except history, American students' worst subject" (5/4/11). NAEP Civics 2010
7. High school students reflecting on social studies instruction “All we did was watch movies, handouts, dittos.” “Teachers just give you the book, read out of it, do the work, that’s it.” “The teachers’ don’t teach…they’ll give us a worksheet and we’ll have to read it and then just answer the questions.” “…we talk about things that happened like 13,000 years ago, that don’t got nothing to do with today.” “Traditional” approaches to social studies instruction
8. When youth have the opportunity to engage actively with investigation and analysis of civic problems that directly concern them, they can develop more active and empowered identities as citizens. Educational experiences that foster sociopolitical development and critical inquiry can contribute to the civic empowerment of youth from marginalized communities. Sociocultural, situated frame for civic learning
9. Inquiry traditions
10. Bullying School violence Test score gap Stereotyping LGBT youth School conditions Violence in the community Refugee camp conditions Emphasizes youth empowerment, rooted in a critical analysis of race, class and power Critical analyses of social inequalities Critique of traditional modes of research Commitment to incorporating youth as co-researchers Aims to empower, liberate Youth participatory action research
11. Traffic lights Town recycling Obesity School lunches Teen pregnancy Waste Develop a commitment to active citizenship and governance Provide knowledge and skills Foster sense of competence and efficacy Learn to monitor and influence public policy Understand the importance of citizen participation Project Citizen
12. “learning by doing” “democracy in action” “creating a caring community of learners” “funds of knowledge” “There is, I think, no point in the philosophy of progressive education which is sounder than its emphasis upon the importance of the participation of the learner in the formation of the purposes which direct his activities in the learning process” (Dewey, 1938, p. 77). Progressive education : inquiry, active learning
13. Is both “generative and transformative,” creating new forms of learning based on specific ideas about practices, studying those innovations, and using analysis of this process to refine the practices under study, gain insight, and produce models of successful innovation (Kelly, 2003, p.3). The Team researchers, teachers, graduate students, undergraduates The Design Spring 2010 Think Tank Summer 2010 Curriculum Development Workshop 2010-11 Implementation Data Collection Professional Learning Community Analysis: Ongoing design based research
14. YPAR in the classroom should : be student-centered, built upon students' knowledge and histories be a collaborative learning experience foster social critique, dissent, and critical analysis, engage with questions/concerns that have a real life application. develop and/or build on research-based skills and tools. help students “acquire the skills needed to be active, informed citizens who value diversity and promote cultural understanding by working collaboratively to address the challenges that are inherent in living in an interconnected world” (NJCCCSSS 6.3). Think Tank: Design Principles
15. Unit 1:Building a Team and Selecting a Problem for Study Unit 2: Research and Analysis social, political, historical context of the problem understanding YPAR, choosing research methods methods modules data analysis Unit 3: Taking Action Civic change Determining action The Curriculum
16. Implementation
17. Gangs Religious intolerance School lunches Homophobia Bullying Homelessness Ethnic/racial tensions at school Waste management Teen pregnancy Human trafficking Eating Disorders Sex Education Criminal Injustice Children in Conflict Topics selected
18. Surveys Interviews Focus groups Slam books Participant observation Secondary source inquiry Research methods
19. Public service announcements Awareness campaigns Fundraising efforts Educational interventions Videos Workshops for middle school students New media campaigns (Facebook, Twitter, etc...) Actions planned
20. “If enough young people care and take initiative, big things can happen and a lot can get accomplished.” “The understandings that I have gained from the project is that small projects can make a large difference if executed well and that it is really important to inform the students of these issues.” “I have begun to understand that I can make a difference and address real problems in the world.” Participating Students Say…
21. Fitting the project into the existing curriculum Keeping up with student topics as they emerge Learning to do and teach research Navigating school constraints Balancing research with desire for action Helping students define meaningful yet do-able project Challenges
22. Development of research skills Development of critical thinking skills Authentic writing and presentation tasks Learning to collaborate - a “group worthy” task Studying a problem in historical, political, cultural context - holistic social studies approach Benefits: Academic
23. Civic skills: how to frame a problem, collect data on that problem, consider how to address it, advocacy, communication Civic knowledge: how government works, power Civic orientation: I have a voice, I am able to tackle an issue that concerns me, my community and its issues are important, I can work together with peers to improve society Benefits: Civic learning
24. Development of an online YPAR Portal and accompanying professional development module to bring the curriculum to a wider audience and facilitate teacher and student sharing across schools, states, countries Seeking partners to revise curriculum, participate in training, collaborate on researching the scaling up of this initiative Next Steps