Ferrell

Reflection in Participatory Action Research: Mirrors, Microscopes, & Binoculars

Elizabeth W. Ferrell, Ed.D., Chicago Public Schools; Loyola University Chicago, IL, USA

Abstract

American public schools are continuous recipients of mandates that change along with leadership and result in little improvement. With the average U.S. superintendent in office for fewer than three years, schools need structures for facilitating contextually-specific improvement initiatives informed and implemented by stakeholders. Participatory action research (PAR) is a promising model for school reform; it heightens a school’s organizational learning and encourages cyclical improvement, while also empowering teachers to use their professional knowledge for the betterment of their school communities. Importantly, the reflective component of PAR challenges practitioners to look introspectively, interpersonally, and globally at the beliefs and processes that inform school improvement. Findings from a nine-month study conducted in Chicago Public Schools suggest that PAR is an effective tool through which school stakeholders can capitalize on their experiences in order to drive school change, while also learning more about themselves, their colleagues, and school systems more broadly. PAR is premised on participants sharing their experiences in order to identify a problem, devise a solution, and cyclically improve their initiative. My participants credited PAR with amplifying self-reflection, professional relationships, and student outcomes. Intra- and inter-personal learning afforded by the PAR process will be highlighted using transformative learning theory.

Keywords:

reflection, participatory action research, school reform, practitioner research