School-Based Youth Participatory Action Research With English Learners: Art-Based Narratives for Change

Abstract

This paper examines how a high school English Language Arts classroom engaged multilingual learners of English in a School-Based Youth Participatory Action Research (SchYPAR) cycle integrating arts and narrative‑based practices. Drawing on Freirean praxis and ethnographic observation, the study highlights how co‑teaching supported critical literacy, agency, and dialogue. Findings reveal student and teacher transformations in relation to language, identity, and collaborative inquiry, illustrating implications for inclusive and critical pedagogies in multilingual contexts.