HOW WE WORK The ROOTS of DFS RESEARCH “YPAR offers a different purpose for teaching and learning—one rooted in social change and the realization of students’ capacities” (Mirra et al., 2016, 4). PAR | Participatory Action Research Drama for Schools (DFS) use Participatory Action Research (PAR) methods to support teachers to implement and research novel ways to use the arts to solve educational issues in their school context. PAR places the power of school improvement–the development of and research on new teaching methods and curricular units–under the leadership of classroom educators. DFS uses PAR to democratize research on the arts in education. We use arts-integrated PAR to validate and center teachers’ lived experience, and to ensure that the curriculum and instructional methods that we co-develop are contextualized and relevant to teachers’ needs. YPAR | Youth Participatory Action Research Drama for Schools (DFS) uses Youth Participatory Actions Research (YPAR) methods to support students to use the arts to investigate and share their opinion about issues in their classroom, school and world context. We use YPAR to support students to work as arts-integrated researchers, evaluators, decision-makers, learning designers, and teachers. When students work through a YPAR cycle, they become agents of change. YPAR supports students to see themselves as capable of positively impacting the educational systems that impact their lives. STLC | Student/Teacher Learning Community DFS enacts PAR and YPAR methodologies within schools through our Student and Teacher Learning Community (STLC) model. In the STLC, students, teachers, administrators, and DFS facilitators work together to achieve a series of tasks and goals for their school, over an extended period of time. Then, the STLC shares their findings with school and community partners who influence the systems that shape their lives. The STLC approach is based on twenty years of DFS research which shows that (1) arts integration can increase students’ social-emotional and academic learning and teacher self-efficacy (2) schools benefit from increased youth involvement in decision-making and learning improvement Our current research indicates that the arts-integrated STLC model increases student voice and teacher self-efficacy; it improves academic identity, and supports schools to reach their learning objectives. STLC at Overton Elementary in Austin, Texas. 2023. STLC at Ann Richards School in Austin, TX. 2025. Using an STLC to Support Teacher PAR and Student YPAR “As important as the who is the how of YPAR” (Fine, 2008, p. 224). In order to enact STLC projects in scalable ways, DFS uses a three-step STLC Y/PAR process: Clarify, Incubate, and Amplify. Though linear by design, the STLC Y/PAR process is also iterative. Click here to see an example of how we use this model. CLARIFY: A Summer Institute is used to co-design the STLC Y/PAR project.A school team (students, arts/non-arts teachers, and administrators) works closely with DFS (UT Austin faculty and students) and local teaching artists/content experts to design the project. During CLARIFY, the STLC Explores and determines goals for our STLC learning community and our arts-integrated Y/PAR project. Builds community and connection through example arts-integrated curriculum units led by DFS facilitators. Then, the STLC evaluates what we did and why we did it; it makes decisions about how we might use arts-integrated learning in our project. Develops shared inquiry questions related to project goal/s and consider which research activities (interviews, surveys, and arts-based methods can be used to answer questions. Creates an action plan for the project. (Dawson et al, 2025) Summer Institute at UT Austin for Overton Elementary’s STLC, 2023. Summer Institute at UT Austin for Ann Richards School’s STLC, 2024. INCUBATE: STLC Sessions are used to teach arts integrated teaching methods and academic content. The STLC uses their learning to design, implement, and research the impact of new arts-integrated curriculum in classrooms. During INCUBATE, the STLC Learns how to facilitate arts integration strategies with target academic content. Designs and teaches new arts-integrated lessons in classroom and collect data about our impact on students and teachers. Presents a festival event to share the artistic outputs and YPAR findings of our work with our school and invited guests. (Dawson et al., 2025) Work shared at a community event Eco-Art for school, local community and city/university leaders at Overton Elementary in Austin, TX. Flyer displayed in Ann Richards School to promote the Climate Festival, Action Through the Arts: Creating Constellations of Change, 2025. AMPLIFY: STLC presents the festival event at school. The STLC analyzes all project data and presents findings at UT Austin. During AMPLIFY, the STLC Shares arts products and arts-integrated YPAR discoveries with other students, teachers, and administrators at the school. Reflects upon and analyzes all STLC work. Uses findings to advocate for changes the STLC wants to see in the educational system. Speaks about their experience and learning to others in professional settings (local, state, national conferences) and writes/speaks about STLC work in formal or informal publications. (Dawson et al., 2025) Overton students came to UT to present their work as featured portion of our annual PT2050 Research Symposium on Climate Resilience. 2024. Ann Richards School students presenting their work at the annual PT2050 Research Symposium on Climate Resilience. 2025.
