Teacher participatory action research (TPAR): A methodological framework for political teacher research

These are dire times for teachers, particularly those who work with marginalized youth. There is a pressing need to further the political reach of teacher research so that teachers can be heard and seen as knowledgeable professionals. Participatory action research seeks to emancipate marginalized groups through engagement in action research. This paper explores a new approach to participatory action research conducted with teachers (Teacher Participatory Action Research, or TPAR), which takes into account the marginalization by association some teachers face in their positions. I propose a framework for Teacher Participatory Action Research, describe the participatory action research project with teachers on which the framework is based, and share challenges and potential benefits for using TPAR.