Participatory action research and evidence-based education in the field of health: researching from practices

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to establish the links between participatory action research (PAR) and evidence-based education (EBE), two methodological approaches to research in education based on inquiry from and for practices. This implies taking into account those who participate, their situations, conditions and social and cultural contexts in which a problem develops and demands to be explored and transformed for the benefit of people. Through the analysis of the most important characteristics of each of these approaches, their points of convergence in the use of research are discussed with the aim of improving practices and promoting evidence-based decision-making. To address their implications, three processes are analyzed that exemplify how PAR and EBE can be implemented and complement each other in the area of Health Sciences: the centrality of practice, the search for contextualized evidence, and the design of strategies relevant to communities. This highlights the importance of the participation of different actors, dialogue and interaction, analysis of the evidence found in the literature, critical reflection according to the contexts of practice, as well as the collaborative elaboration of intervention proposals.