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The Importance of Elevating Youth Voices; Tackling Expectations, Colorism, and Health Disparities

Description

Our thesis revolved around the Maryvale community and was centered by a Photovoice project that was a Youth Participatory Action Research method. Being a project led by the youth we continued their stories and expanded off of the topics that we discussed in our photovoice meetings. In our thesis podcast…

Our thesis revolved around the Maryvale community and was centered by a Photovoice project that was a Youth Participatory Action Research method. Being a project led by the youth we continued their stories and expanded off of the topics that we discussed in our photovoice meetings. In our thesis podcast we discussed the expectation and reality of moving to a new country, the colorism our community as well as other communities face, and the health disparities that are present within underrepresented communities. We were able to expand on these topics and tie it back to the conversations we had with each other four years prior to doing our podcast and how little or how much these topics have changed and evolved.

ContributorsElizalde, Manuel (Author) / Medina Rios, Kimberly (Co-author) / Ruiz, Wendy (Co-author) / Reed, Lauren (Thesis director) / Mullady, Allison (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Public Affairs (Contributor) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor)

Created2023-05

The Importance of Elevating Youth Voices; Tackling Expectations, Colorism, and Health Disparities

Description

Our thesis revolved around the Maryvale community and was centered by a Photovoice project that was a Youth Participatory Action Research method. Being a project led by the youth we continued their stories and expanded off of the topics that we discussed in our photovoice meetings. In our thesis podcast…

Our thesis revolved around the Maryvale community and was centered by a Photovoice project that was a Youth Participatory Action Research method. Being a project led by the youth we continued their stories and expanded off of the topics that we discussed in our photovoice meetings. In our thesis podcast we discussed the expectation and reality of moving to a new country, the colorism our community as well as other communities face, and the health disparities that are present within underrepresented communities. We were able to expand on these topics and tie it back to the conversations we had with each other four years prior to doing our podcast and how little or how much these topics have changed and evolved.

ContributorsRuiz, Wendy (Author) / Elizalde, Manuel (Co-author) / Medina Rios, Kimberly (Co-author) / Reed, Lauren (Thesis director) / Mullady, Allison (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor)

Created2023-05

Using Student Agency to Increase Familiarity in a High School Career and Technical Education Engineering Program

Description

Career and technical education (CTE) has existed for over a century involving several legislative transformations, including a name change, to create a positive reputation in the educational community. Although these transformations have deconstructed some negative perceptions, it has caused a lack of awareness among parents and students. This awareness problem…

Career and technical education (CTE) has existed for over a century involving several legislative transformations, including a name change, to create a positive reputation in the educational community. Although these transformations have deconstructed some negative perceptions, it has caused a lack of awareness among parents and students. This awareness problem guided this concurrent multistrand mixed-method action research study looking to increase familiarity, understanding, and interest in CTE programs at a comprehensive high school. Looking through the lens of critical constructivism, a nested youth participatory action research intervention was implemented where CTE students (i.e., student-researchers) were tasked as change agents to create a public service announcement to increase their peers’ familiarity, understanding, and interest in CTE. In a quantitative survey, coconstructed with student-researchers, familiarity showed a significant increase (t39 = 7.60, p < .05). During the intervention, qualitative data were collected and several themes emerged including students understanding the value of CTE when immersed in CTE and CTE having a concrete value that engages students in the classroom and beyond. Recommendations from this study included exposing students to the benefits of CTE early and often and the positive effect student agency has in raising familiarity with CTE programming.

ContributorsWendell, Melissa S (Author) / Garcia, David (Thesis advisor) / Wylie, Ruth (Committee member) / Keller, Mary (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)

Created2024

Shouting the Whispers of the Youth: Tackling Expectations,Health Disparities, and Colorism.

Description

Our thesis revolved around the Maryvale community and was centered by a Photovoice project that was a Youth Participatory Action Research method. Being a project led by the youth we continued their stories and expanded off of the topics that we discussed in our Photovoice meetings. In our thesis podcast…

Our thesis revolved around the Maryvale community and was centered by a Photovoice project that was a Youth Participatory Action Research method. Being a project led by the youth we continued their stories and expanded off of the topics that we discussed in our Photovoice meetings. In our thesis podcast we discussed the expectation and reality of moving to a new country, the colorism our community as well as other communities face, and the health disparities that are present within underrepresented communities. We were able to expand on these topics and tie it back to the conversations we had with each other four years prior to doing our podcast and how little or how much these topics have changed and evolved.

ContributorsMedina Rios, Kimberly (Author) / Ruiz Xicale, Wendy (Co-author) / Elizalde, Manuel (Co-author) / Reed, Lauren (Thesis director) / Mullady, Allison (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Human Evolution & Social Change (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)

Created2023-05

Student Ambassadors: Creating a Venue for Middle School Students to Share their Voices to Improve their Social Emotional Competencies

Description

The researcher explored the impact of a student voice initiative (SVI), the Student Ambassador Council (SAC), on the social-emotional competencies (SECs) of middle school, 5th- 8th grades students. Drawing upon the principles of youth empowerment, more specifically Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR), and social-emotional learning (SEL), the SAC provided a…

The researcher explored the impact of a student voice initiative (SVI), the Student Ambassador Council (SAC), on the social-emotional competencies (SECs) of middle school, 5th- 8th grades students. Drawing upon the principles of youth empowerment, more specifically Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR), and social-emotional learning (SEL), the SAC provided a platform for students to actively participate in decision-making processes within their school community. The researcher employed action research using a mixed methodologies approach, combining surveys, interviews, and participant observations to gather data on students' experiences and perceptions of the SAC. Quantitative analysis of pre- and post-surveys did not reveal significant improvements in students' SECs following their participation in the SAC. However, qualitative data from open-ended questions on the post-survey, interviews and observation provided further clarity demonstrating the initiative fosters growth in students’ perceptions of Student Voice, Social Awareness and Self-Efficacy in addition to student development in confidence, self-directed learning and civic engagement. Moreover, the study also suggested broader implications of the SAC on school climate and administrative practices. Findings suggested that SVIs like the SAC contributed to a more positive and inclusive school environment, promoting greater collaboration between students and school staff.

ContributorsEllis, Stacy E (Author) / Beardsley, Audrey (Thesis advisor) / Bowers, Nicole (Committee member) / Stafford, Neil (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)

Created2024

The effect of YPAR on student self-efficacy and engagement in a suburban junior high school

Description

Educators often struggle to effectively engage all students. Part of the reason for this is adherence to behavioral principles which curtail student autonomy and diminish student self-efficacy. Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) can counter this problem; it was designed to increase autonomy for minority youth in urban high…

Educators often struggle to effectively engage all students. Part of the reason for this is adherence to behavioral principles which curtail student autonomy and diminish student self-efficacy. Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) can counter this problem; it was designed to increase autonomy for minority youth in urban high schools. I conducted a study to add to the growing conversation about YPAR in settings beyond urban high schools and to look at how YPAR can influence students’ self-efficacy. Drawing on results from surveys, interviews, and field observation, I found that students who participated in a YPAR program showed improved self-efficacy in contexts closely related to their work in YPAR among peers and for a peer audience, but they did not show improved self-efficacy in their relationships with community adults or with their school. Students’ improved self-efficacy stemmed from their social learning experiences and their perception of the community relevance, or authenticity, of their work. Schools seeking to improve engagement among students of any background should consider adopting approaches like YPAR which increase student autonomy and foment self-efficacy with authentic community-linked research.

ContributorsCox, Timothy (Author) / Boyd, Patricia R (Thesis advisor) / Durand, Elizabeth S (Committee member) / Goggin, Peter (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)

Created2017