Unpacking participatory research in education

The authors of this paper are members of Ottawa Participatory Researchers in Education (OPRE) a group of teachers, university academics, and students attempting to develop research initiatives using democratic and collaborative research approaches. Building on the experiences of the group, the paper examines and problematizes three elements typically ascribed to non-traditional research approaches: a social action focus, a transformative objective, and a participatory process. Particular emphasis is placed on the questions of who participates, in what ways, and under what conditions. As a result of OPRE's experience and self reflection, seven traps of "pseudo-democracy" are identified and illustrated as potential problems in research purporting to embody equal collaboration between university based academics and community members, such as teachers and students. It is argued that in order to further a democratic research process, equality of opportunity to participate cannot be assumed at any stage of the research process. Attention is paid to the following stages: setting the research agenda, the research epistemology, chronology of the project, representativeness of project participants, funding processes, knowledge cultures, and dissemination choices. Conclusions call for raising awareness of the possibility of teachers and students collaborating to identify research issues of mutual concern and developing a controlling role in research where academics are included as consultants and equals, but not as the possessors of superior and controlling research expertise. © Kluwer Academic Publishers.