Helen Evans
Thesis Title: A participatory action research study with a ‘Students as Researchers’ (SaR) group, specifically formed to train and engage post-16 students (who are intellectually disabled and autistic) in the development of enjoyable, accessible and meaningful student voice practice and tools.
My participatory PhD investigates the 'Students as Researchers' (SaR) model of student voice within the context of a specialist college. The study will follow the recruitment, training and research activities of a specifically-formed SaR group within a residential provision for intellectually disabled and autistic young people (16-25 year-olds) in the UK. Over five academic terms, the group will receive accessible training in research skills before following the cycles of action research. With support, they will design, trial and refine accessible research tools to gain answers to their own research question/s within a student voice context. In later phases of the action research, the group may choose to share their developed tool/s with student voice groups from other UK provisions - asking them to trial the tools in their own setting, and then adding these evaluations to the development process. The study's primary research question asks: 'What is the value of Students as Researchers (SaR) groups, perceived and experienced by participating intellectually disabled and autistic students, staff and leaders?' It is a study of two parts, and the part which is informed by the SaR group's action research asks: 'How can the enjoyability, accessibility and suitability of research tools be evaluated and maximized through participatory action research conducted by a SaR group?'
Biography
My background is mainly in post-compulsory education, specifically involving students who are intellectually disabled and autistic - a journey which began over 20 years ago now. My teaching style has always been facilitative and supportive of students' autonomy in learning, and I have found student-led projects to be a successful way of achieving this. So, it makes sense that I am drawn to participatory research methods. I currently work as a part-time Autism Advisor at a specialist college for 16-25 year olds who are intellectually disabled and autistic, and am the provision's Lead Trainer with Autism Education Trust (Post-16).
Publications
Evans, H. (2021) ‘Quiet voices: using creative research methods to increase participation and the voice of learners often overlooked’, Good Autism Practice, 22(1), pp.13-23.
Other Research Interests
Inclusive research Student voice Disability rights and accessibility Pedagogy Creative research methods
Education
University of Birmingham
2021 Cohort, 1+3
https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-evans-15428712a
Supervisory Team
Dr. Andrea MacLeod
Prof. Karen Guldberg