College Students’ Reflections on Their Experience Facilitating a Photovoice Research Project with BIPOC Older Adults and Frontline Healthcare Workers
The photovoice literature has focused mainly on research collaborations between researchers in academia and community partners. There is limited evidence of undergraduate students facilitating photovoice research projects with underserved Black, Indigenous, and persons of color (BIPOC). Students’ pa...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-03-01
|
| Series: | Youth |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-995X/3/2/33 |
| _version_ | 1797592246542925824 |
|---|---|
| author | Angela U. Ekwonye Tenzin Chonyi Iqra Farah Stephanie Nguyen Abigail Malek Mary Hearst |
| author_facet | Angela U. Ekwonye Tenzin Chonyi Iqra Farah Stephanie Nguyen Abigail Malek Mary Hearst |
| author_sort | Angela U. Ekwonye |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The photovoice literature has focused mainly on research collaborations between researchers in academia and community partners. There is limited evidence of undergraduate students facilitating photovoice research projects with underserved Black, Indigenous, and persons of color (BIPOC). Students’ participation in photovoice research increases their understanding of local issues and can empower them to engage with local communities to create change. This qualitative study explored students’ experiences facilitating photovoice research with BIPOC older adults and frontline healthcare workers. In this study, we trained college students in photovoice methodological skills by introducing photovoice as a participatory qualitative methodology, explained ethics issues and the informed consent process, and clarified the steps and requirements for the photovoice project. Students were paired with BIPOC older adults and frontline healthcare workers. They facilitated the photovoice research project in four stages. Throughout the study, students critically reflected and wrote about the various aspects of their experience facilitating the photovoice research activities based on weekly structured reflection questions. In their weekly journal, student facilitators commented on how both older and younger BIPOC participants were friendly and kind, flexible with the research activity scheduling, inspiring with their stories, and selfless. Students’ reflections indicated that their participants experienced greater emotional and psychological burdens during the COVID-19 pandemic, exacerbated by the long-standing epidemic of systemic racism. Student facilitators overwhelmingly recognized participants’ resilience and perseverance despite these life challenges. Our findings highlight the importance of photovoice in developing and strengthening college students’ qualitative research skills and stimulating critical thinking and creativity, a sense of critical consciousness about social issues and society, and a sense of empowerment. Our results will be relevant to hospital/long-term care managers, policymakers, and researchers. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:48:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-14aaf7d94ed541dbaf6318af97528b5d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-995X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:48:44Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Youth |
| spelling | doaj.art-14aaf7d94ed541dbaf6318af97528b5d2023-11-18T13:07:04ZengMDPI AGYouth2673-995X2023-03-013247748910.3390/youth3020033College Students’ Reflections on Their Experience Facilitating a Photovoice Research Project with BIPOC Older Adults and Frontline Healthcare WorkersAngela U. Ekwonye0Tenzin Chonyi1Iqra Farah2Stephanie Nguyen3Abigail Malek4Mary Hearst5Department of Public Health, St. Catherine University, St. Paul, MN 55105, USADepartment of Public Health, St. Catherine University, St. Paul, MN 55105, USADepartment of Public Health, St. Catherine University, St. Paul, MN 55105, USADepartment of Public Health, St. Catherine University, St. Paul, MN 55105, USADepartment of Public Health, St. Catherine University, St. Paul, MN 55105, USASchool of Nursing, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USAThe photovoice literature has focused mainly on research collaborations between researchers in academia and community partners. There is limited evidence of undergraduate students facilitating photovoice research projects with underserved Black, Indigenous, and persons of color (BIPOC). Students’ participation in photovoice research increases their understanding of local issues and can empower them to engage with local communities to create change. This qualitative study explored students’ experiences facilitating photovoice research with BIPOC older adults and frontline healthcare workers. In this study, we trained college students in photovoice methodological skills by introducing photovoice as a participatory qualitative methodology, explained ethics issues and the informed consent process, and clarified the steps and requirements for the photovoice project. Students were paired with BIPOC older adults and frontline healthcare workers. They facilitated the photovoice research project in four stages. Throughout the study, students critically reflected and wrote about the various aspects of their experience facilitating the photovoice research activities based on weekly structured reflection questions. In their weekly journal, student facilitators commented on how both older and younger BIPOC participants were friendly and kind, flexible with the research activity scheduling, inspiring with their stories, and selfless. Students’ reflections indicated that their participants experienced greater emotional and psychological burdens during the COVID-19 pandemic, exacerbated by the long-standing epidemic of systemic racism. Student facilitators overwhelmingly recognized participants’ resilience and perseverance despite these life challenges. Our findings highlight the importance of photovoice in developing and strengthening college students’ qualitative research skills and stimulating critical thinking and creativity, a sense of critical consciousness about social issues and society, and a sense of empowerment. Our results will be relevant to hospital/long-term care managers, policymakers, and researchers.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-995X/3/2/33college studentsphotovoice research projectreflectionsBIPOC older adultsBIPOC frontline healthcare workers |
| spellingShingle | Angela U. Ekwonye Tenzin Chonyi Iqra Farah Stephanie Nguyen Abigail Malek Mary Hearst College Students’ Reflections on Their Experience Facilitating a Photovoice Research Project with BIPOC Older Adults and Frontline Healthcare Workers Youth college students photovoice research project reflections BIPOC older adults BIPOC frontline healthcare workers |
| title | College Students’ Reflections on Their Experience Facilitating a Photovoice Research Project with BIPOC Older Adults and Frontline Healthcare Workers |
| title_full | College Students’ Reflections on Their Experience Facilitating a Photovoice Research Project with BIPOC Older Adults and Frontline Healthcare Workers |
| title_fullStr | College Students’ Reflections on Their Experience Facilitating a Photovoice Research Project with BIPOC Older Adults and Frontline Healthcare Workers |
| title_full_unstemmed | College Students’ Reflections on Their Experience Facilitating a Photovoice Research Project with BIPOC Older Adults and Frontline Healthcare Workers |
| title_short | College Students’ Reflections on Their Experience Facilitating a Photovoice Research Project with BIPOC Older Adults and Frontline Healthcare Workers |
| title_sort | college students reflections on their experience facilitating a photovoice research project with bipoc older adults and frontline healthcare workers |
| topic | college students photovoice research project reflections BIPOC older adults BIPOC frontline healthcare workers |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-995X/3/2/33 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT angelauekwonye collegestudentsreflectionsontheirexperiencefacilitatingaphotovoiceresearchprojectwithbipocolderadultsandfrontlinehealthcareworkers AT tenzinchonyi collegestudentsreflectionsontheirexperiencefacilitatingaphotovoiceresearchprojectwithbipocolderadultsandfrontlinehealthcareworkers AT iqrafarah collegestudentsreflectionsontheirexperiencefacilitatingaphotovoiceresearchprojectwithbipocolderadultsandfrontlinehealthcareworkers AT stephanienguyen collegestudentsreflectionsontheirexperiencefacilitatingaphotovoiceresearchprojectwithbipocolderadultsandfrontlinehealthcareworkers AT abigailmalek collegestudentsreflectionsontheirexperiencefacilitatingaphotovoiceresearchprojectwithbipocolderadultsandfrontlinehealthcareworkers AT maryhearst collegestudentsreflectionsontheirexperiencefacilitatingaphotovoiceresearchprojectwithbipocolderadultsandfrontlinehealthcareworkers |