Towards safe and sensitive schools: a participatory action research project

Abstract

India's schools have been frequently evaluated along parameters that are focused on the quality of their facilities, and less often, the effectiveness of the instruction. There are no published studies that concern the social and emotional environment that envelops a child at school. This paper summarises a participatory action research program that was undertaken by three schools in that state of Karnataka, India. The goal of the yearlong intervention was to measure and enhance the safety and sensitivity of their environments. The Whole School Ecosystemic Model formed the basis of the intervention. The paper begins by highlighting three key aspects that foster a caring and positive environment - constructive, nurturing and collaborative. Data collected before and after the intervention illustrates the impact of the program on the attitudes and behaviour of teachers and students. Results indicate that they performed better on the collaborative aspect in comparison to the other two aspects.