Emancipatory action research with young schoolchildren: experience report

Area of Science:

• Community Health
• Media Studies
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• Youth in urban peripheries face complex realities influenced by societal structures.
• Drug use among young people necessitates culturally relevant and empowering educational interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To document an emancipatory action research experience with young participants.
• To explore the potential of action research in problematizing participants' realities.
• To co-create a drug awareness media program with young students.

Main Methods:

• Emancipatory action research involving 13 public school students in São Paulo.
• A 7-month study (February-September 2014) structured through 13 workshops.
• Workshops followed five stages: exploration, topic outlining, theory/practice, knowledge expression, and script validation.

Main Results:

• The action research process facilitated critical reflection on the links between capitalism and drug use.
• Students actively engaged in discussions, asserting their right to critically analyze their social realities.
• The inherent problematization within action research empowered participants.

Conclusions:

• The research fostered an emancipatory educational process for young participants.
• Educational drug awareness media programs were developed, reflecting the lived experiences of urban youth.
• This approach validates and centers the perspectives of young people from marginalized communities.