Participatory Action Research: a teacher professional development tool for moving towards a more inclusive education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4151/07189729-Vol.65-Iss.1-Art.1700Keywords:
Participatory action research Teacher professional development inclusive education teacher collaboration educational changeAbstract
Inclusive education has become a priority axis of international educational policies. This approach requires profound transformations in school cultures, recognizing diversity as a value. In this context, teacher professional development is key, and collaboration among teachers has been identified as an effective strategy for advancing towards more inclusive schools. In this sense, Participatory Action Research (PAR) is presented as an appropriate methodology to promote professional and inclusive development, by integrating theory and practice in reflective and collaborative processes. This study examines the perception of a group of teachers participating in a Participatory Action Research (PAR) project (contract ref. 2023/075) regarding its implications for their professional development towards inclusive education, in a public school in Chile.
A qualitative descriptive-interpretative approach was adopted, focused on understanding the experiences of teachers in a Chilean public school. Thirty-two professionals (30 teachers and 2 school leaders) participated in a PAR experience carried out during the 2023–2024 academic year. Data collection included group field diaries, open-ended questionnaires, one in-depth interview, and records of the sessions. The analysis was conducted through open coding and content analysis.
The results show that PAR promotes cooperation and cohesion among teachers, encourages pedagogical innovation, strengthens professional autonomy, and facilitates the creation of a common language—elements that may contribute to more inclusive education. In addition, valuable practices driven by the professional commitment of teachers were identified. Participation in the PAR process made it possible to make visible the activation of joint reflection towards more collaborative ways of working. Professional relationships were strengthened, a shared vision regarding the challenges faced by the school was developed, and teacher autonomy was consolidated as a driver of change. Among the main challenges identified are the lack of time and the need for a shift in how teacher training is conceived, moving from the transmission of traditional models to more active and participatory approaches.
The experience shows that innovation and inclusion do not depend exclusively on external resources, but on teachers’ capacity to create alliances, share knowledge, and build contextualized proposals. In this sense, PAR functioned not only as a methodology but also as a pathway to strengthen teachers’ agency towards the construction of a more inclusive culture in the school.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Susana Domínguez Santos, Constanza San Martín Ulloa, Francisco Gárate Vergara, Yolanda Muñoz Martínez
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