The nature and outcomes of students' longitudinal participatory research on literacy motivations and schooling

This article describes the nature and outcomes of students' longitudinal pa rticipatory research on literacy motivations and schooling. The students pa rticipated as co-researchers and then as members of a participatory researc h team in a study spanning elementary, junior high, and high school years o ver a 6-year period. The students grappled with issues of literacy, learnin g and intrinsic motivation by examining their reasons and purposes for lear ning across multiple school contexts. As students examined their own motiva tions for literacy, learning, they applied literacy strategies and skills t hrough their research roles as question posers, methodologists, interviews, data analyzers, presenters, writers, theory builders, and change agents. T he article illustrates ways in which students claimed personal learning age ndas, gained increased voice in their schooling, grappled with issues of ep istemology and contributed to scholarly knowledge, Underlying the processes of this research have been a realignment of relationships and epistemologi cal shifts that we believe have potential for transforming schooling.