Participatory Action Research and Photovoice: Applicability, Relevance, and Process in Nursing Education Research

Abstract

Participatory action research (PAR) is a philosophy and approach to qualitative research. The purpose of this article is to generate a clearer understanding of PAR and its relevance to the discipline and profession of nursing. The authors provide a description of the principles and process of implementing PAR methodology, using photovoice as an innovative, participant-directed data collection method in rural nursing preceptorship. Participants were undergraduate nursing students and faculty advisors assigned to rural communities during the final clinical preceptorship. Participants described opportunities and challenges experienced during the preceptorship and how these experiences influenced their learning and overall preceptorship experience.

‘A picture is worth a thousand words’—A photovoice study exploring health professionals’ experiences during the COVID‐19 pandemic

“…Photovoice is a method which used photographs taken by participants which empowers them to comment on their experiences during everyday events (Oosterbroek et al, 2020; Wang & Burris, 1997). Photovoice projects therefore include not only images, but also a discussion about each one through a commonly deployed method called the ‘SHOWED’ mnemonic (C. Wang & Burris, 1997).…”