Participatory Action Research (PAR) as a Research Approach …
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In the last six decades, various theories by researchers have contributed to the justification, evolution and practice of PAR in various disciplines. Argyris et al. (1985)
argued that the PAR approach is different from traditional research in which environmental variables are controlled and researchers to find out cause and effect in an
isolated environment, while PAR openly inquires about conflict and possibly works
on transforming the variables in a cyclical learning cycle. The following sections
will illustrate the core principles of the PAR methodology.
2.2 Principles of the Participatory Action Research (PAR)
Methodology
In the last two decades, studying social, organisational, environmental, and economical changes within a specific community has raised the profile of a particular
research methodology known as Participatory Action Research (PAR) (Reason and
Bradbury 2001; Pain and Francis 2003). The PAR approach possesses three strong
key principles. The first key principle is that the PAR approach is “action-oriented”
and is underpinned by the belief that “the study of society is not worth the trouble
if it does not help its members to grasp the meaning of their lives and to move to
action for progress, peace and prosperity for all” (Fals Borda 2006). Secondly, PAR
is participatory and thus involves researchers working “with” and “for” the research
subjects, also known as co-researchers. Thirdly, the PAR method focuses on reflective
learning and generation of rich knowledge and information through the application
of through a diverse range of quantitative and qualitative research techniques and
tools. Reflective learning and new knowledge and information have the propensity
to contribute to improvements for further development efforts.
In a PAR approach, the researcher initiates the research by engaging with a
real situation faced by a community. Upon engaging with the real state of affairs,
the researcher then initiates the research with an inquiry stage (Fig. 1) where the
PAR researcher and the research participants identify a shared real-world problem,
defined the shared problem clearly and identified and obtain consensus on the action
needed for the research participants to collectively address that problem. Once this
is achieved, the next stage is implementation of the action or intervention phase in
which the researcher and the research participants implement the agreed action(s)
or intervention(s). In the action implementation phase, the role of the researcher is
to closely monitor, and observe the research participants throughout the entire process of action or intervention implementation. Within this phase, the researcher’s
observations are collated into reflections which are then shared with the research
participants to validate new and emergent knowledge or information generated from
the researcher’s observations and reflections. The new knowledge generated is then
used as units of inquiry when the researcher repeats the PAR methodology or cycle
again, thus, tracking the process of social change towards attaining the outcomes of
the desired interventions.
675
In the last six decades, various theories by researchers have contributed to the justification, evolution and practice of PAR in various disciplines. Argyris et al. (1985)
argued that the PAR approach is different from traditional research in which environmental variables are controlled and researchers to find out cause and effect in an
isolated environment, while PAR openly inquires about conflict and possibly works
on transforming the variables in a cyclical learning cycle. The following sections
will illustrate the core principles of the PAR methodology.
2.2 Principles of the Participatory Action Research (PAR)
Methodology
In the last two decades, studying social, organisational, environmental, and economical changes within a specific community has raised the profile of a particular
research methodology known as Participatory Action Research (PAR) (Reason and
Bradbury 2001; Pain and Francis 2003). The PAR approach possesses three strong
key principles. The first key principle is that the PAR approach is “action-oriented”
and is underpinned by the belief that “the study of society is not worth the trouble
if it does not help its members to grasp the meaning of their lives and to move to
action for progress, peace and prosperity for all” (Fals Borda 2006). Secondly, PAR
is participatory and thus involves researchers working “with” and “for” the research
subjects, also known as co-researchers. Thirdly, the PAR method focuses on reflective
learning and generation of rich knowledge and information through the application
of through a diverse range of quantitative and qualitative research techniques and
tools. Reflective learning and new knowledge and information have the propensity
to contribute to improvements for further development efforts.
In a PAR approach, the researcher initiates the research by engaging with a
real situation faced by a community. Upon engaging with the real state of affairs,
the researcher then initiates the research with an inquiry stage (Fig. 1) where the
PAR researcher and the research participants identify a shared real-world problem,
defined the shared problem clearly and identified and obtain consensus on the action
needed for the research participants to collectively address that problem. Once this
is achieved, the next stage is implementation of the action or intervention phase in
which the researcher and the research participants implement the agreed action(s)
or intervention(s). In the action implementation phase, the role of the researcher is
to closely monitor, and observe the research participants throughout the entire process of action or intervention implementation. Within this phase, the researcher’s
observations are collated into reflections which are then shared with the research
participants to validate new and emergent knowledge or information generated from
the researcher’s observations and reflections. The new knowledge generated is then
used as units of inquiry when the researcher repeats the PAR methodology or cycle
again, thus, tracking the process of social change towards attaining the outcomes of
the desired interventions.