Are you listening? Echoing the voices of looked after children about their transition to secondary school

2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-55
Author(s):  
Yvonne J Francis ◽  
Laura Rowland ◽  
Sarah Humrich ◽  
Sally Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
School Environment ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Connections ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Vulnerable Children ◽  
Looked After Children ◽  
Action Research Approach ◽  
Childhood Event

Transition to secondary school is a significant childhood event, especially for the most vulnerable children. Many looked after children experience multiple episodes of instability, loss and change which can affect this move. Research shows that school belonging promotes acceptance, inclusion and respect, and impacts positively on school transfer and participation. Asking children for their views on matters that affect them can ease the process and increase their belonging and well-being. This article seeks to echo the voices of 36 children aged 10 to 12 who participated in a therapeutic primary to secondary transition initiative for looked after children. Informed by a participatory action research approach, its focus was to facilitate the child’s voice. Child-friendly, multi-method techniques and activities were used to elicit their views about the transition. Social connections, relationships, feeling safe and belonging within the school environment emerged as key themes. Children specifically highlighted the importance of friendships as a mechanism for supporting their belonging during this time. They also voiced the need for their social connections and belonging to be promoted. This unique intervention provides a framework for facilitating the voices of looked after children and underlines the need for practitioners to listen and understand moves from primary to secondary schools from the child’s perspective.

Key aspects for the sustainable coordination of a process to facilitate holistic well-being in South African schools

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 692-701 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ansie Elizabeth Kitching ◽  
Bianke van Rooyen
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Action Learning ◽  
School Context ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
School Communities ◽  
Action Research Approach ◽  
Clear Vision ◽  
Key Aspects

AbstractA holistic well-being approach, understood as an approach that pays attention to the promotion of individual, relational and collective well-being in a particular context, is proposed as a way to address the fragmented nature in which mental health and well-being programmes are implemented in school communities in South Africa. The goal of this paper is to indicate key aspects for sustainable coordination of a process to facilitate holistic well-being in South African schools. Research was conducted in six South African schools with the aim of developing an integrated, multilevel process to facilitate holistic well-being in these contexts. A participatory action learning and action research approach was applied. As part of this research, key aspects that could contribute to the sustainable coordination of holistic well-being were identified. The research comprised a cross-case analysis of the data gathered, as well as a focus group that was held with the coordinators who facilitated the development of the process in each school. In addition, the school principals completed a semi-structured questionnaire, and Skype interviews were conducted with four international experts. The five aspects identified as key to the sustainable coordination of well-being are: that ownership and responsibility should reside in the school context; that there should be a clear vision for the promotion of holistic well-being; that the connections between all involved should be deepened; that all efforts to promote holistic well-being should be integrated, and that the complexity of the process should be acknowledged.

“We Don’t Want to Live Like This”: The Lived Experience of Dislocation, Poor Health, and Homelessness for Western Australian Aboriginal People

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robyn Martin ◽  
Christina Fernandes ◽  
Cheryl Taylor ◽  
Amanda Crow ◽  
Desmond Headland ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lived Experience ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Aboriginal People ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Personal Safety ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Aboriginal Australians ◽  
Policy Interventions ◽  
Action Research Approach

Many policy interventions have attempted to address the entrenched disadvantage of Aboriginal Australians1; however, sustained improvement in social, cultural, physical, and emotional well-being is not evident. This disadvantage is compounded by paternalistic practices which do not promote Aboriginal self-determination or empowerment. This article presents the lived experience and voice of Aboriginal Australians spending time in parks in Perth, Western Australia. A community-based participatory action research approach informed by critical Indigenous methodologies involving collaboration between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal service providers was used. Participants experienced disconnection from kin and country, serious risk to personal safety, homelessness, and problematic health; all related to, and intersecting with, time spent in the parks. The participants’ narratives highlight the enduring impacts of colonization, dispossession, and racism. These lived experiences are situated within contexts of rising moral panic from politicians, residents and mass media, and siloed policy and service delivery responses.

Beyond Findings: Conversations with Experts

2018 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 60-62
Author(s):  
Joanne Evans ◽  
Gregory Rolan
Keyword(s):  
Home Care ◽  
Associate Professor ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
Out Of Home Care ◽  
Action Research Approach ◽  
Historical Justice ◽  
Protection Systems ◽  
Discovery Project

AbstractRights in Records by Design is a three-year Australian Research Council-funded Discovery Project that is running from 2017 to 2019. This project brings together an interdisciplinary research team to investigate the recordkeeping and archival needs for those whose childhoods are impacted by child welfare and protection systems. Using a participatory action research approach the team of recordkeeping, historical, social work, early childhood education and community researchers are exploring the design of Lifelong Living Archives for those who experience childhood out-of-home Care. The goal of research and in designing the Archive is to re-imagine recordkeeping frameworks, processes and systems in support of responsive and accountable child-centred out-of-home Care, and to enable historical justice and reconciliation. Chief Investigator Associate Professor Joanne Evans and post-doctoral researcher Dr. Gregory Rolan from the Faculty of Information Technology at Monash University in Australia talk to PDT&C about this project.

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

Challenges Faced when Evaluating the Jalaris Kids Future Club

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-31
Author(s):  
Maya Haviland ◽  
With James Pillsbury
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Evaluation Process ◽  
After School ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Aboriginal Community ◽  
Community Initiatives ◽  
School Activities ◽  
Action Research Approach ◽  
Recent Project

Jalaris Aboriginal Corporation in Western Australia was established in 1994 to look after the needs of an Aboriginal community. The organisation's most recent project is the ‘Kids Future Club’, an after-school activities program. Jalaris has a history of evaluating their work using a participatory action research approach, but decided to approach evaluation of the Kids Future Club in a slightly different way. This article discusses the reasons for the changed approach, the efforts made to develop culturally appropriate tools for data collection, and the challenges encountered in undertaking evaluation of outcomes for individual children in the context of Jalaris and their Aboriginal community. The tensions between ethical approaches to working within the Aboriginal kinship network and undertaking evaluation that required detailed observation and data collection of individuals proved to be irreconcilable for Jalaris. Lessons learnt from this evaluation process may inform future efforts to evaluate Aboriginal community initiatives.

“Different but connected”: Participatory action research using Photovoice to explore well-being in autistic young adults

Autism ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (5) ◽  
pp. 1246-1259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary Yu Hin Lam ◽  
Emily Holden ◽  
Megan Fitzpatrick ◽  
Linda Raffaele Mendez ◽  
Karen Berkman
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
School Transition ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Transition Program ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Autistic Community

Past research has largely focused on the negative aspects of well-being of autistic young adults during the post-school transition. Research that meaningfully includes autistic individuals and captures their perspectives of positive well-being is essential for stakeholders to better understand how to provide services that respond to the needs and wants of the autistic community. In the current study, 14 autistic young adults in a post-school transition program participated in a Photovoice project and used photos to express their ideas about well-being. A participatory action research approach was used to support participants’ active engagement in the research processes and to encourage meaningful expression of their first-person perspectives. Results revealed an account of well-being reflecting expressions of individuality and growth, the significance of having close relationships, and a sense of connection with the community. This study has implications for research and practice that promotes well-being among the autistic community using approaches that are ethically informed and inclusive of autistic voices. Lay abstract Past research has mainly focused on autistic people’s deficits and poor outcomes compared to other groups of people. Little is known about their positive life experiences, and how to support them to achieve a higher quality of life. It is important to include autistic individuals in research so that they can influence how their voices are represented in a meaningful way and how the research results will be useful to them. In this study, a university researcher collaborated with 14 autistic young adults in a post-school transition program to design and run the research, collect and analyze the data, and use the results to create a presentation to the community. Specifically, the participants took photos in daily life and discussed their ideas about what a good life means to them. Results showed that these young adults described themselves as uniquely and different, but they were eager to learn and adapt. They also valued their relationships with their families, friends, and animals around them, as well as the community at large. This research shows that autistic individuals have important perspectives to share and knowledge to contribute when they are given the opportunities to participate in different aspects of research. The findings will be useful in developing services and influencing policies that promote well-being among autistic adults.

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