Teaching participatory research: Making higher education participatory and relevant

Abstract

he paper argues that inclusion of Participatory Research (PR) in the curricula of institutions of higher education will facilitate its actual practice, thereby contributing to new forms of knowledge production and social change. Participatory Research (PR),as an alternative to dominant social science research methodology and an approach for social change, gained recognition in the 70s. More than three decades later, however, much more is needed for the inclusion of PR in the formal higher education system. This paper highlights the status of PR in institutions of higher education in India; it analyses the viability of its inclusion and presents the challenges it faces across social science disciplines, in degree level courses, as well as in doctoral research. Drawing upon national and international experiences ,the paper explores ways by which higher education institutions in India can include PR in the curriculum and teaching practices .