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Youth-Led Community Research on Mathematics Education: Effects on Research Literacy and Mathematical Agency
No full textThis study examines how participating in youth-led community research affects middle school students' research literacy, mathematical agency, and STEM identity. Students design and conduct their own research about mathematics education in their community as part of a peer-facilitated after-school math enrichment program.
Over one semester, students move through a structured research process: generating questions about math in their lives and communities, designing simple surveys or interviews, collecting data from family and community members, analyzing findings, and presenting results. This youth participatory action research (YPAR) approach positions students as knowledge creators rather than passive learners, connecting mathematics to community inquiry and social change.
Study Design: Mixed-methods within treatment group (n≈20 students participating in YPAR curriculum). Pre-post surveys measuring research literacy, mathematical agency, and STEM identity. Qualitative analysis of student-generated research questions, data collection artifacts, analysis products, and reflections.
Primary Research Questions:
How does conducting community research affect students' understanding of research and who can do it?
What questions do students generate about mathematics and math education when given agency to investigate their communities?
How does YPAR affect students' sense of mathematical agency (belief they can use math to understand and influence their world)?
How does positioning math as a tool for community inquiry affect students' mathematical identity?
YPAR Process (The Intervention):
Students follow a 4-phase process over 16 weeks: (1) Question Generation - brainstorm and select research questions about math in their community, (2) Study Design - create data collection tools with facilitator guidance, (3) Data Collection - interview family/community members, (4) Analysis & Presentation - organize findings and present to community. Specific research questions and methods are emergent and student-directed.
Outcomes Measured:
Research literacy (pre-post survey)
Mathematical agency (pre-post scale)
STEM identity (pre-post, from companion study measures)
Student artifacts (research questions, instruments, data, presentations)
Student reflections on process
Analysis: Paired t-tests for pre-post changes (small n, exploratory). Thematic analysis of student-generated questions (categories, priorities), artifacts (quality, engagement), and reflections (learning, agency, identity shifts).
Purpose: Understand how YPAR affects middle school students to inform math enrichment programming and contribute to literature on youth participatory research in STEM education. Students' community research generates separate student-authored report for local audience (not preregistered)
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