Participatory Action Research (PAR)
as a Research Approach for Sustainable
Community Development: A Case Study
in Pulau Mantanani, Sabah
Yasmin Rasyid
Abstract Current efforts and research on sustainable community development has
garnered increasing interest among academicians, non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) and government. Additionally with the global alignment on the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs), there has been a strong emphasis on understanding
the various approaches, concepts, and mechanisms of accomplishing or contributing to the successful implementation of the SDGs. Such studies often focus on the
sustainability of interventions, whether initiated by the government or NGOs, to
provide long term benefits to the beneficiaries or community. Nevertheless, the sustainability of interventions is widely debated in terms of identifying the various
factors that are necessary for sustainable community development to materialize.
As an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary subject, researchers apply a variety of
research methodologies in order to study, understand and analyse the sustainability
of interventions for sustainable community development, a precursor to sustainable
development. Using a case study approach, this paper documents the application of
the Participatory Action Research (PAR) methodology in studying the sustainability
of NGO interventions for sustainable community development. The values and limitations of the PAR approach as a research approach in studying the sustainability
of NGO interventions for sustainable community development in Pulau Mantanani
are presented in this manuscript and aims to encourage researchers on sustainable
community development to integrate the PAR method in their research designs. The
author argues that the application of the PAR methodology in research on sustainable community development is a suitable and robust methodology for researchers to
capture in-depth, and inclusive and collaborative knowledge-generating perspectives
with the community and generate action that aims to improve livelihood and reduce
economic, environmental and social inequities of communities through involving
the people who, in turn, take actions to improve their own livelihood. Additionally,
this paper also aligns the benefits of the PAR method in facilitating research that
contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Y. Rasyid (B)
EcoKnights, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
e-mail: yasmin.rasyid@ecoknights.org.my
Department of Science and Technology, Faculty of Sciences, University Malaya,
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
W. Leal Filho et al. (eds.), Universities as Living Labs for Sustainable Development,
World Sustainability Series, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15604-6_41
671
as a Research Approach for Sustainable
Community Development: A Case Study
in Pulau Mantanani, Sabah
Yasmin Rasyid
Abstract Current efforts and research on sustainable community development has
garnered increasing interest among academicians, non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) and government. Additionally with the global alignment on the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs), there has been a strong emphasis on understanding
the various approaches, concepts, and mechanisms of accomplishing or contributing to the successful implementation of the SDGs. Such studies often focus on the
sustainability of interventions, whether initiated by the government or NGOs, to
provide long term benefits to the beneficiaries or community. Nevertheless, the sustainability of interventions is widely debated in terms of identifying the various
factors that are necessary for sustainable community development to materialize.
As an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary subject, researchers apply a variety of
research methodologies in order to study, understand and analyse the sustainability
of interventions for sustainable community development, a precursor to sustainable
development. Using a case study approach, this paper documents the application of
the Participatory Action Research (PAR) methodology in studying the sustainability
of NGO interventions for sustainable community development. The values and limitations of the PAR approach as a research approach in studying the sustainability
of NGO interventions for sustainable community development in Pulau Mantanani
are presented in this manuscript and aims to encourage researchers on sustainable
community development to integrate the PAR method in their research designs. The
author argues that the application of the PAR methodology in research on sustainable community development is a suitable and robust methodology for researchers to
capture in-depth, and inclusive and collaborative knowledge-generating perspectives
with the community and generate action that aims to improve livelihood and reduce
economic, environmental and social inequities of communities through involving
the people who, in turn, take actions to improve their own livelihood. Additionally,
this paper also aligns the benefits of the PAR method in facilitating research that
contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Y. Rasyid (B)
EcoKnights, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
e-mail: yasmin.rasyid@ecoknights.org.my
Department of Science and Technology, Faculty of Sciences, University Malaya,
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
W. Leal Filho et al. (eds.), Universities as Living Labs for Sustainable Development,
World Sustainability Series, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15604-6_41
671