Middle schoolers as scholars: Critical participatory action research
Description
We speak with Dr. Sam Finesurrey, assistant professor of history at Guttman Community College, and three 2024 graduates of School in the Square (S2), a charter middle school in Washington Heights, Manhattan. Dr. Finesurrey worked with 14 students on a research project studying S2 students’ social emotional learning, including reactions to the pandemic and faculty turnover. Dr. Sam and the students talk about the process, what they found, and how the school modified policies in response to the study’s findings.
Overview
00:00-00:50 Intros
00:50-02:22 Critical participatory research
02:22-04:21 Participatory oral history project at School in the Square
04:21-06:12 Meaningful findings
06:12-10:05 Follow up on the results
10:05-11:17 School in the Square’s response to the findings
11:17-13:16 Role and impact of staff member Ms. Lilly
13:16-14:17 Public presentations
14:17-17:31 How the researchers have changed as a result of the project
17:31-18:45 Effects on interviewees
18:45-20:12 Confidentiality
20:12- Outro
Transcript
References
- More details about the project CUNY Academic Commons
- Article published in the Middle School Journal coauthored by Dr. Sam and the students “Critical socio-emotional inquiry: A longitudinal oral history project led by middle school students on socio-emotional well-being”
Soundtrack by Poddington Bear
United States
