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Though not an established tradition, and often combined with aforementioned approaches, participatory research is used by researchers who wish to privilege participant voices, reduce researcher bias, and engage in “translocal” understanding (Burnett, Davies, Merchant, & Rowsell, 2014). Rooted in a nonconforming perspective of research design (Johnson & Onwuegbuzie, 2004), participatory learning encourages participants to be part of the research, from its conceptualization to the dissemination of findings. Some researchers have suggested that participatory approaches are crucial for overturning power dynamics inherent in traditional research approaches (Bergold & Thomas, 2012; Morrell, 2006; Onwuegbuzie & Frels, 2013).

Researchers using participatory approaches often strive to empower underrepresented, underserved, marginalized, or oppressed individuals and groups. For instance, when Michelle Fine and colleagues (2005) engaged in an “ethnographic analysis of the political economy of schooling as lived by youth in and around the New York City metropolitan area” (p. 500), they purposely included youth researchers who “played a vital role in determining the research design, questions, methods, interpretations and products” of the study (p. 501). In so doing, they found that the youth-as-researchers developed critical stances related to racism and social justice. Fine and colleagues featured some of the youth researchers’ reflections and discoveries, such as, “I used to see flat. No more... now I know things are much deeper than they appear. And it’s my job to find out what’s behind the so-called facts. I can’t see flat anymore” (p. 523). This suggests that participatory research could inspire a critical awakening among youth-as-researchers.

Critical dialectical pluralism (CDP) is a research philosophy that embraces the ethos of participatory research. In particular, critical dialectical pluralism creates pathways for participants to be maximally involved as researchers throughout the process, especially with respect to the dissemination and utilization of the findings (Onwuegbuzie & Frels, 2013). Adopting a CDP stance, Gerber, Abrams, Onwuegbuzie, and Benge (2014) worked collaboratively with adolescent participants to understand their engagement with multiple online and offline gaming resources as used in a public school remedial reading class. Given that the research took place during the school day, the participatory approach underscored the disruption of power dynamics between the teacher and the student, as well as between the researcher and the participant. The CDP stance allowed the research team to collaboratively trace learning across these resources and spaces, while honoring the perspectives and voices of participants through the entire research process—from conceptualization through research dissemination.

Participatory approaches may suggest that power structures and hierarchies can be eliminated, but such a stance seems idyllic and inaccurate because the reality is that youth-driven research participation remains under adult auspices. Barry Checkoway and Lorraine Gutiérrez (2006) underscore this point in their introduction to their edited volume on youth participation. Not only did they acknowledge the benefits of participatory research, but also they addressed the possible limitations: “Although participation initiatives might be youth-led, adult-led, or intergenerational in their origins, we recognize that none of the ones described here is truly youth-led. However, we reiterate that the quality of participation is not contingent on this approach” (p. 6). These concerns should not undermine participatory research; rather, they remind researchers to be cognizant of inherent power structures, thoughtful of their own presuppositions, and careful in their approach to include participant voices and decisions.