Chapter 1 Defining PAR to Refine PAR: Theorizing Participatory Action Research in South Asian Educational Contexts

Abstract

ParticiPatory action research? There are an astonishing number of ways to realize interpretations and knowledge. Researchers toil in diverse and multilayered contexts that often combine other forms of knowledge with an objective to shed light on multi-faceted understandings. This infinite number of combinations offers research-ers an array of means and methods from which to choose. If a researcher is interested in mapping an educational program or its effectiveness, quantita-tive methodologies can help. If the researcher is more interested in the social phenomena available to a community or how communities are influenced by them, then the researcher can leverage qualitative or mixed methodological resources. Sharing and borrowing ideas and tools is very common.