Youth-Led Participatory Action Research

Abstract Youth-led participatory action research (YPAR) presents a change process that engages students in identifying problems that they want to improve, conducting research to understand the nature of the problems, and advocating for changes based on research evidence. It explicitly focuses on the integration of systematic research implemented by young people with guidance from adult facilitators. The author describes YPAR's core processes, identifying similarities and distinctions between YPAR and other approaches to youth development, as well as factors that support YPAR projects' functioning and sustainability. She also makes links to the broader practice of community-based participatory research (CBPR), noting special considerations in conducting CBPR with youth. The chapter concludes with a case study in which qualitative and quantitative methods were used to assess the effects of participatory research on adolescents and their schools.