Issues in Teaching Participatory Action Research

Utilizing Web‐based Databases to Introduce Social Work Content in Research Statistics Courses

“…Indeed, the review of the literature uncovered only one paper that specifically addressed pedagogical issues related to teaching statistics to social work students (Epstein, 1987). Closely related papers addressed pedagogy in research methods courses (Garrett, 1998;Knee, 2002;Quinn et al, 1992;Riessman, 1993); teaching participatory action research (McNicoll, 1999); a comparison of live instruction to interactive televised teaching (Petracchi & Patchner, 2001); anxiety (Gustavsson & MacEachron, 2001;Wilson & Rosenthal, 1992) and assumptions of students in research courses (Anderson & Anderson, 1993;Basom et al, 1982); and the research curriculum as a whole Olsen, 1990;Longres & Scanlon, 2001). …”

Community-Action Learning

“…To address these problems, proponents and critics of service-learning propose adopting a ''civic'' rather than ''philanthropic'' approach to service-learning that emphasizes mutual responsibility and enlightened self-interest rather than altruism (Battistoni 1997, 151); emphasizing partnership and collaboration rather than a one-way flow of service (Battistoni 1997, 155;Boyte and Farr 1997;Nyden et al 1997;Scott 2004); adopting a more critical pedagogy that goes beyond superficial understanding of problems and solutions to address institutional and structural barriers to change (Abowitz 1999;Bickford and Reynolds 2002;Scott 2004); emphasizing a shared stake in problem solving (Boyte and Farr 1997); focusing more resolutely on power and seeking an equalization of control and participation (Scott 2004); emphasizing that students benefit from community members (McNicoll 1999); and multiple suggestions for addressing logistical obstacles. In this paper, we describe some of our own attempts to remedy the shortcomings and difficulties of service-learning.…”

Productive tensions—engaging geography students in participatory action research with communities

“…As they illustrate, drawing PAR into undergraduate teaching and supervision "destabilize[s] traditional hierarchies of researcher/researched and teacher/learner" (Cope, 2009;Elwood, 2007Elwood, , 2009Kindon & Elwood, 2009, p. 20;Moss, 2009;see also Mountz, Moore, & Brown, 2008). In recent years, there have also been similar efforts in other disciplines (Bidart-Novaes, Gil, & Brunstein, 2008;Hofman & Rosing, 2007;McNicoll, 1999). It is an approach that can be challenging for all involved but, these authors agree, a valuable one that offers the potential for more socially just modes and outcomes of teaching and research.…”