Topic – A Proposed Model for Participatory Action Research for CQL within and around Schools

In line with the PAR principle of providing participation for those who have been absent in identifying issues and solutions (Smith et al,1997), the first stepis to identify potential collaborators from within the community. All participants interact, exchange ideas, reflect upon and enrich their practice based on their exchanges and come to a new enriched or changed discourse during the process of each interaction and after that as part of their reflective practice.

Upon conclusion of the workshops, parents and students will continue their involvement as “promoters”(Ramos, 2002; Ramos 2001) acting as brokers between the school, the rest of the parents and the community (Flores & Kotkin-Jaszi, 2007).

The findings will be disseminated to various audiences and stakeholders within the community. To this end, the promoters will have an active role in designing and organizing events, materials etc.

The final stage will include an evaluation with the promoters and stakeholders focus groups.Participants will review whether they had seen any change in CQL after their participation in the PAR study.

Highlights about PAR you need to remember (e.g. Elden & Levin, 1991; Koshy, 2005):

• All participants are also stakeholders doing what only researchers usually do. 

• Participatory methods include a range of activities to enable “ordinary” people to play an active and influential part in decisions which affect their lives. 

• PAR is grounded in the problems and the contexts of practice in the first place and in the ways practitioners collaboratively theorize, study, and act on those problems in the best interests of the learning and life chances of studentsand their communities.

• It can be used to motivate teachersto participate eagerly alongside with students and parents and any other stakeholder.