Social Change and Participatory Action Research Essay by Master Researcher

This paper discusses how when the general public thinks of research, they think of an active investigator making use of passive data. In the case of human-based research, if the general public thinks of it at all, they assume that research consists of the researcher asking questions of a responsive participant. Participatory action research (PAR), however, alters these patterns of research. This paper further addresses how PAR can have an effect on social change? Is it possible for it, also, to effect change in educational organizations? What is Participatory Action Research (PAR)?