What is Research?

What is research?

In SchYPAR, research is about understanding an issue deeply—not proving a point.

Research helps us:

  • Ask meaningful questions

  • Learn from people’s experiences

  • Look for patterns and relationships

  • Make sense of complex issues

  • Connect what we see to bigger systems

Research is a learned practice. It takes time, support, and practice. (Download PDF document)

    • Trying to prove what you already believe

    • Telling people what they should think or do

    • Cherry-picking data to support an opinion

    • Looking for one “right” answer

    • Assuming your experience is everyone’s experience

    In SchYPAR, being curious matters more than being right.

  • Research Starts With Questions

    Strong research is guided by open and thoughtful questions, not conclusions.

    Good research questions:

    • Ask how or why

    • Invite multiple perspectives

    • Help us learn something new

    • Leave room for complexity

    Example:

    • What supports do students use when they are feeling overwhelmed?

    • How do school schedules impact students’ mental health?

    This question works because it:

    • Does not assume one truth

    • Centers lived experiences

    • Allows for different meanings and contexts

  • Strong YPAR questions:

    • Ask how, what, or in what ways

    • Center students’ lived experiences

    • Invite multiple perspectives

    • Allow findings to be complex or unexpected

    • Connect individual experiences to systems and structures

    Examples of Questions That Need Revision (and Why)

    ❌ Why does our school have bad mental health support?
    → Assumes a conclusion

    ✅ How do students experience mental health support at our school?
    → Open, exploratory, researchable

    ❌ Do teachers care about students?
    → Leading and overly simplistic

    ✅ How do students interpret care and support from teachers?
    → Centers perception and meaning-making

  • Everyone brings their experiences, identities, and values into research.
    That’s not a problem—it’s something to be aware of.

    In SchYPAR:

    • We name our perspectives

    • We reflect on how they shape our thinking

    • We stay open to being challenged

    • We acknowledge that our views can help and limit our understanding

    Strong research is not “neutral”—it is honest, reflective, and accountable.

  • Data does not speak for itself. People interpret data.

    This means:

    • The same data can be understood in different ways

    • Data can be misused or taken out of context

    • “Common sense” interpretations may hide assumptions

    Important questions we ask:

    • What story is the data telling?

    • What might be missing?

    • Who benefits from this interpretation?

    • What is our agenda—and are we being transparent about it?

    In SchYPAR, social justice and equity are part of our purpose, and we name that openly.

  • Being critical means looking beyond the surface.

    We ask:

    • What systems or structures shape this issue?

    • Who has power?

    • Who is impacted most?

    • What histories matter here?

    Critical thinking:

    • Takes time

    • Is ongoing

    • Grows with practice

    • Looks different for different people

    It’s not about having all the answers—it’s about learning how to ask better questions.

  • In Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR), action is what happens when research is used responsibly and strategically to influence understanding, decisions, practices, or conditions.

    Action is not just doing something.
    Action is doing something informed by research.

    What Counts as Action in SchYPAR?

    Action can take many forms, depending on the issue, context, and timing.

    1. Shifting Understanding

    Sometimes the most powerful action is changing how people understand an issue.

    Examples:

    • Presenting findings to administrators to challenge assumptions

    • Creating data-informed narratives that reframe a problem

    • Sharing student experiences that are often ignored or dismissed

    Changing how an issue is understood is action.

    2. Influencing Decisions or Policies

    Action can mean using research to shape decisions.

    Examples:

    • Informing changes to school policies or practices

    • Offering recommendations grounded in student data

    • Participating in advisory councils or school committees

    This kind of action is often slow—but it’s impactful.

    3. Improving Practices

    Action may focus on how things are done, not just what is decided.

    Examples:

    • Proposing changes to classroom routines or schedules

    • Co-designing supports with teachers or staff

    • Piloting small, research-informed changes

    Small changes matter when they are intentional and informed.

    4. Building Student Power and Capacity

    Action also happens within students themselves.

    Examples:

    • Developing confidence to speak with evidence

    • Learning how to analyze and present data

    • Practicing leadership and collective decision-making

    This is not a side outcome—it is core to YPAR.

    5. Sharing Findings with Purpose

    Dissemination is action when it is strategic.

    Examples:

    • Presenting findings to people who can act on them

    • Creating reports, zines, or media grounded in data

    • Hosting community conversations based on evidence

    The key question:

    Who needs to hear this, and why?

  • Action is not:

    • Jumping to solutions before understanding the issue

    • One-time events with no follow-up

    • Performative activities (posters, assemblies, presentations without impact)

    • Telling people what to do without evidence

    • Action that puts students at risk or asks them to carry adult responsibilities

    If research doesn’t shape the action, it’s not YPAR.

  • SchYPAR:

    • Values youth knowledge and expertise

    • Connects research to real-world change

    • Centers equity, justice, and community

    • Emphasizes reflection, collaboration, and care

    We believe:

    Young people already hold knowledge.
    Research helps make that knowledge visible, powerful, and actionable.

Our Approach to Action Research: YPAR Phases

  • Phase 1. Identify an Issue

    Phase 1 introduces YPAR within schools and the importance of power-sharing roles between teachers and students. Central to phase 1 is identifying a school and community issue, asking: What are the most critical issues in our school? What about this issue needs to change? What are the goals for addressing the issue?

  • Phase 2: Collect Data

    Phase 2 guides the data collection by breaking down quantitative and qualitative research methods. This phase asks: What information might one need to address the issue? Whose perspectives will help understand the problem better? How will the information be obtained? What research methods work best to address the problem?

  • Phase 3: Analyze Data

    Phase 3 will provide guidelines and techniques for analyzing data needed to take action in YPAR. Questions guiding phase 3 include: What has been learned? What are the major trends or themes that the data shows? What reflections and evaluations are needed to take action?

  • Phase 4: Take Action

    It’s time to take action! Phase 4 supports collaborators to take what was learned from the research to create change within schools and communities. In Phase 4, collaborators will brainstorm recommendations based on the research findings, reflect on advocates to support the project, and figure out how the research can be shared with others.

  • “Research is the practice of listening carefully, asking better questions, and making sense of the world with care and responsibility.”

    Rosalinda Godinez, PhD