PALAR as a methodology for community engagement by faculties of education
Community engagement (CE) is a core function of the university in South Africa. In the field of education, the imperative to pursue and promote CE provides an exciting opportunity for researchers to work with school communities to address the many challenges that threaten the quality of teaching and...
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2013-01-01
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doaj-388e766725ce4f38ac27842ab7c8b6162020-11-24T22:10:43ZengEducation Association of South AfricaSouth African Journal of Education2076-34332013-01-01334115S0256-01002013000400003PALAR as a methodology for community engagement by faculties of educationLesley Wood0Ortrun Zuber-Skerrit1North-West UniversityGriffith UniversityCommunity engagement (CE) is a core function of the university in South Africa. In the field of education, the imperative to pursue and promote CE provides an exciting opportunity for researchers to work with school communities to address the many challenges that threaten the quality of teaching and learning. Yet, relatively few researchers in education faculties have expertise in this emerging area of scholarship. There is therefore a need to develop among academics a capacity for community-based research and deep knowledge of how to approach it effectively. This conceptual article positions participatory action learning and action research (PALAR) as a creative, innovative, collaborative and self-developed way to achieve this purpose. Findings from various PALAR projects, in which the authors have participated, provide evidence of PALAR's utility for disrupting traditional notions of partnership, power relations and knowledge creation. However, they also highlight the challenges this form of enquiry poses within academic environments geared for research that follows a more predetermined, researcher-controlled trajectory. Thesefindings are helpful for stimulating thinking about how such challenges can be addressed to ensure that the research, action, and knowledge we create through this process actually translate into practical community improvement.http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0256-01002013000400003&lng=en&tlng=enaction learningaction researchcommunity engagementhigher educationparticipatory researchschool communities |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Lesley Wood Ortrun Zuber-Skerrit |
spellingShingle |
Lesley Wood Ortrun Zuber-Skerrit PALAR as a methodology for community engagement by faculties of education South African Journal of Education action learning action research community engagement higher education participatory research school communities |
author_facet |
Lesley Wood Ortrun Zuber-Skerrit |
author_sort |
Lesley Wood |
title |
PALAR as a methodology for community engagement by faculties of education |
title_short |
PALAR as a methodology for community engagement by faculties of education |
title_full |
PALAR as a methodology for community engagement by faculties of education |
title_fullStr |
PALAR as a methodology for community engagement by faculties of education |
title_full_unstemmed |
PALAR as a methodology for community engagement by faculties of education |
title_sort |
palar as a methodology for community engagement by faculties of education |
publisher |
Education Association of South Africa |
series |
South African Journal of Education |
issn |
2076-3433 |
publishDate |
2013-01-01 |
description |
Community engagement (CE) is a core function of the university in South Africa. In the field of education, the imperative to pursue and promote CE provides an exciting opportunity for researchers to work with school communities to address the many challenges that threaten the quality of teaching and learning. Yet, relatively few researchers in education faculties have expertise in this emerging area of scholarship. There is therefore a need to develop among academics a capacity for community-based research and deep knowledge of how to approach it effectively. This conceptual article positions participatory action learning and action research (PALAR) as a creative, innovative, collaborative and self-developed way to achieve this purpose. Findings from various PALAR projects, in which the authors have participated, provide evidence of PALAR's utility for disrupting traditional notions of partnership, power relations and knowledge creation. However, they also highlight the challenges this form of enquiry poses within academic environments geared for research that follows a more predetermined, researcher-controlled trajectory. Thesefindings are helpful for stimulating thinking about how such challenges can be addressed to ensure that the research, action, and knowledge we create through this process actually translate into practical community improvement. |
topic |
action learning action research community engagement higher education participatory research school communities |
url |
http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0256-01002013000400003&lng=en&tlng=en |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT lesleywood palarasamethodologyforcommunityengagementbyfacultiesofeducation AT ortrunzuberskerrit palarasamethodologyforcommunityengagementbyfacultiesofeducation |
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