Photo Collages and Near-Peer Interviewing: Scaffolding Data Collection in Youth Participatory Action Research Projects With Children

Abstract

In this brief report, we describe photo collages generated by youth researchers as a photo-elicitation technique in youth participatory action research focused on food (in)security. The approach was implemented with 11 high school students over the course of one semester in an agriscience class at a K-12 alternative school. Student researchers used photo collages as data collection scaffolds within near-peer interviews with elementary students to prompt sharing about food experiences and inequality. This report illustrates how youth-led photo collages are a useful approach to engaging youth as co-creators of knowledge by scaffolding research capacity for high school students and engaging elementary students in research.