scholarly journals Action research with parkrun UK volunteer organizers to develop inclusive strategies

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 1199-1209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone Fullagar ◽  
Sandra Petris ◽  
Julia Sargent ◽  
Stephanie Allen ◽  
Muhsina Akhtar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Organizational Strategies ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Marginalized Groups ◽  
Action Research Approach ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Successes And Challenges ◽  
Equity And Inclusion

Abstract This article addresses the challenge of promoting physical activity through a focus on equity and engaging physically inactive citizens through the development of inclusive strategies within parkrun UK—a free, volunteer-led, weekly mass community participation running event. We discuss how a UK-based action research design enabled collaboration with volunteer event organizers to understand participant experiences, constraints and develop localized inclusive practices. In contrast with ‘expert’-driven health behaviour interventions, our research pursued a ‘ground up’ approach by asking what can be learnt from the successes and challenges of organizing community events, such as parkrun UK, to promote inclusion? A modified participatory action research approach was used with four parkrun sites across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, that involved quantitative and qualitative analysis of survey data (n = 655) that informed the process. Our analysis explored parkrunners’ and volunteer organizers’ perceptions relating to (i) the demographics of parkrun participation and (ii) actions for change in relation to the challenges of engaging marginalized groups (women, ethnic minorities, low income, older people, those with disabilities or illness). We discuss the challenges and opportunities for addressing (in)equity and inclusion through volunteer-based organizations and the implications for translating knowledge into organizational strategies.

Using a Participatory Action Research Approach to Design a Lecture Podcasting System

2012 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 67-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond Mugwanya ◽  
Gary Marsden ◽  
Dick Ng’ambi ◽  
John Traxler
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Action Research Approach ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Constrained Environments ◽  
Action Model ◽  
Trial Basis ◽  
Educational Applications

Although podcasting is popular in higher education, there is limited research on podcasting in developing institutions or resource constrained environments. There are fragmented implementations of podcasting projects by enthusiastic faculty but the tools used are often proprietary, imported from the West by administrators without any consultation with the lecturers who eventually use them. Similarly, many of these tools are used on a trial basis. The authors hypothesize that involving academics through user centered approaches to the design of educational applications will encourage them to use the tools. This paper reflects on a Participatory Action Research approach adopted in the design of a podcasting system. The research study incorporated a cyclical action model with four distinctive stages designed to guide the constituencies involved in the study to design, test, and possibly enhance the tool. The findings reveal some of the contextual phenomena that create both challenges and opportunities for a podcasting model.

scholarly journals Use of participatory action research approach to develop a self-management resource for persons living with dementia

Dementia ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 147130122199728
Author(s):  
Sherry Dupuis ◽  
Carrie McAiney ◽  
Lisa Loiselle ◽  
Brenda Hounam ◽  
Jim Mann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
Primary Care Providers ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Action Research Approach ◽  
Care Partners ◽  
Essential Components

This article describes the use of a participatory action research (PAR) approach to developing a self-management resource for persons living with dementia and care partners. Despite growing evidence that persons with dementia are able to contribute in meaningful ways to decision-making about their care and life preferences, few opportunities exist for them to participate in the design of resources and services meant for them. There is also a need to support the self-management of persons living with dementia with the provision of accurate, high quality, user-friendly information. The Living Well with Dementia resource was developed through a partnership with persons with dementia, family members, Alzheimer Society representatives, primary care providers, and researchers. The methods used in the development of this resource are outlined in six steps employed in this process, from establishment of a PAR team to final resource creation. Informed by a whole systems approach, the resource brings together essential components of self-management into a comprehensive system of care and support for living. It empowers users to be active participants in the application of new knowledge to their lives. Better self-management has important implications for access to health care and quality of life for persons with dementia and care partners.

Community Participatory Action Research Approach as an Effective Tool Towards Adoption of Corn-Based Farming System Technologies by Libona, Bukidnon Farmers

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorena Duna ◽  
◽  
Juanita Salvani ◽  
Marivic Paday ◽  
Joy Daproza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Action Research Approach

participatory, community, technologies, adoption, sustainability

scholarly journals Using Action Research to Improve Race Relations in Prisons

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Ellis
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
Race Relations ◽  
Policy Research ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Policy Practice ◽  
Action Research Approach ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Utilization Focused

Tackling racism in prisons has a relatively long policy, practice, and research history in England and Wales. However, clear evidence of success in reducing racism in prisons has been, and still is, difficult to find. This article is based on a unique study that was carried out either side of the new millennium (late 1999 to mid-2001), but no equivalent exercise has been repeated since. Due to a unique set of circumstances at the time the study was carried out, it became possible to employ an action research approach that required policymakers, practitioners, volunteers, and researchers to agree on: an emergent research design; implementation; intervention; and measurement. There are many forms of action research, but this study could best be defined as a “utilization-focused evaluation, which is particularly applicable to the criminal justice environment. This approach also included elements of participatory action research.” The emphasis here is to show how the action research approach can be both more systematic and more flexible than traditional social science approaches. This applies to both epistemological and research methods considerations, because, by combining theory and action, action research can provide a more viable way of ensuring that policy works in practice, and is sensitive to unique institutional exigencies. Throughout, discussion is contextualised using policy, research and methodology texts from the period when the research was commissioned, but given an overall methodological context by referencing more recent methodology text books. The article first outlines the context in which the action research study was commissioned, before providing a summary of the international research findings on race relations in prisons, from which key concepts for the project were initially operationalized. The chapter then explains how the specific participatory action research approach was selected as the most appropriate design, the extent to which the approach was successful, and why. The article ends with a discussion of the implications of findings and conclusions from this study for current policy and methodological approaches.

scholarly journals Participatory action research to enhance the collective involvement of residents in elderly care: About power, dialogue and understanding

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 528-548 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Woelders ◽  
Tineke Abma
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
Expert Knowledge ◽  
Elderly Care ◽  
Care Home ◽  
Western Society ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Action Research Approach

The collective involvement of patients and clients in health care organizations is valued in our Western society. In practice, giving form to this involvement seems to be a complex process. In this paper we present our learning experiences with a process of enhancing the involvement of older people in a residential care home in the Netherlands, by using a participatory action research approach, called PARTNER. This approach is inspired by responsive evaluation and developed for the context of long-term care. We use concepts of Habermas’ theory to understand what happens when trying to create communicative spaces through dialogue. Our learning history shows that the involvement of residents is not an easy task, because power issues are at stake. System values seem to dominate the lifeworld and expert knowledge seems to be more valued than expressed emotions and narratives of residents. Researchers who use participatory action research must be aware of these issues of power, often hidden in language and discourse. Dialogue can be a vehicle to enhance mutual understanding, when attention is paid to underlying values, assumptions and meanings of all people. Then, the gap between system and lifeworld can be bridged and communicative spaces can be opened up.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document