Exploring the Contributions of Youth-Led Participatory Action Research to Youth Voice and Adult Support in a Community-Based after-School Program

Purpose:  As youth transition from childhood to early adolescence and enter middle school, many begin to disconnect from pro-social institutions and lose academic motivation. This is especially true for low-income youth of color, who are more likely to experience marginalization, disengagement and disempowerment from school and adult authorities.  Research demonstrates that after-school programs (ASPs) can engage and retain early adolescents of color by addressing their need for autonomy and independence through empowerment programs that a) allow youth to have a voice in decision-making and b) create more egalitarian relationships between adolescents and program staff.  Indeed, youth voice and caring adult relationships are also “key amplifiers” or mediators of positive developmental outcomes in ASPs, yet little is known about effective strategies for creating such conditions within ASPs serving diverse adolescents. Youth-led Participatory Action Research (YPAR) is a promising approach to supporting self-determination and developmentally appropriate adolescent-adult relationships within ASPs. Very broadly, YPAR involves young people in gathering information about pressing school or community issues and leading efforts to advocate for solutions. This study explored the impact of a YPAR curriculum on low-income Black, Latino and Asian adolescents’ perceptions of youth voice and adult support in an ASP.  

Methods:  Over the course of a school year, a manual-driven YPAR intervention was delivered to youth enrolled in an ASP with four sites in a large metropolitan area. Pre- and post-test surveys were completed by participants (n=33) and a control group (n=32), which measured perceived opportunities for youth involvement and adult support using scales from the Program Experiences Survey of Academic and Youth Outcomes (SAYO-Y). Paired sample t-tests were used to assess change at the bivariate level and calculate effect sizes.  Subsequently, linear regression analyses was used to compare YPAR participant’s improvements to non-participants, controlling for their pre-score, racial background, age, and primary site.

Findings: Pre- and post-test differences among YPAR participants were positive and statistically significant for the constructs of adult support (M₁= 3.44, M₂= 3.87, p=.001; d= 1.04) and youth involvement (M₁= 2.97, M₂= 3.27; p=.02; d=.42). In contrast, among non-participants, scores declined for both adult support (M₁= 3.78, M₂= 3.61; p>.05) and for youth involvement (M₁= 2.56, M₂= 2.52; p>.05). In regression analyses controlling for pre-test scores, race, gender, age, and program site, YPAR involved youth were significantly more likely than those in the control group to report opportunities for youth voice and choice (B=.67, p <.001) and supportive relationships with program staff w (B=.51, p <.01).

Conclusions and Implications: Findings parallel qualitative evidence that YPAR creates opportunities for adolescents to lead meaningful activities and engage in programmatic decision-making. Similarly, several ethnographic studies have documented the unique relationships that are built through YPAR as youth renegotiate power dynamics with adults in their programs, schools, and communities.  Results suggest that YPAR is a promising approach to supporting self-determination and developmentally appropriate adolescent-adult relationships for low-income youth of color within ASPs.  Directions for future research include mediational analyses that test pathways between the intervention, adult support and youth involvement, to positive developmental outcomes.