Karmel Abutaleb
For the past three years, Karmel Abutaleb has been a Secondary Math and Computer Science teacher at Facing History New Tech High School. Since 2021, she has integrated YPAR into three of her math classes. Karmel's dedication and passion drive her to address various areas for improvement within the school. Recognizing Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) as an opportunity, she collaborates with students to conduct research aimed at enhancing academic performance and overall school conditions. Her classes focus on issues such as mental health, attendance, the correlation between motivation and academic success, school cleanliness, the impact of violence on attendance, and school security.
In September 2021, Karmel embarked on the implementation of YPAR, a journey marked by challenges. Learning the YPAR research cycle, crafting lesson plans, and effectively delivering the content to her students made her teaching year (2021-2022) demanding. Overcoming obstacles involved seeking support and guidance from school administration and the CSU team, particularly from Dr. Adam Voight. Challenges included identifying suitable software for data analysis, as Excel was inaccessible on students' devices. Ultimately, Google Sheets was chosen, leading to extensive online searches for various analysis techniques to interpret the data.
In the subsequent school year (2022-2023), Karmel found increased confidence in her approach. She reached out to Dr. Adam Voight for specific guidance on more complex issues, such as determining whether a motivation scale is discrete or continuous. Drawing from the YPAR strategy, resources developed through the HighKEY project, and insights gained from her research, Karmel is teaching YPAR with greater assurance and competence this year. In the 2023-2024 school year, Karmel is set to continue her YPAR teaching journey. Recognizing the importance of integrating real-world content and adhering to educational standards, Karmel remained dedicated to aligning standards with the YPAR teaching approach.
Advice to teachers wanting to teach YPAR
If you have faith in the transformative power of YPAR, your students will share that belief.
Use the WHY YPAR Train. It serves as an invaluable tool for fostering discourse on various topics and promoting metacognition. It stands out as one of the crucial elements in successfully implementing YPAR.
Executing YPAR demands qualities like patience, courage, and critical thinking. Adopt a facilitative role, letting the students take the lead in steering the wheel.
Enhance student engagement in YPAR by ensuring that the chosen topics hold personal relevance for them.
Allocate ample time for students to establish connections and select topics that resonate with their experiences.
Recognize that despite students' dedication and belief in the process, not all recommendations may materialize due to factors like funding constraints or policies. Teach your students the valuable lesson that achieving some progress is better than none.