"Where The Grass Is Greener": Youth Participatory Action Research Examining The Lived Student Experience Through Cross-Campus Shadowing

Authors

• Justin Matthew Antos, Northern Illinois UniversityFollow

Date of Degree

2026

Degree Name

Ed.D. (Doctor of Education)

Department

Department of Leadership, Educational Psychology, and Foundations (LEPF)

Director

Rosario-Moore, Alexios

Committee Members

Taines, Cynthia; Roberts, Patrick

Keywords

YPAR, Youth Participatory Action Research, Student Shadowing, Cross-Campus Shadowing, Lived Student Experience, Student Swap

Abstract

This Youth Participatory Action Research study examined how alumni perceive student experiences related to school culture and climate, classroom learning environments, and equity of opportunity and resources across three sister high schools within a single district. Six alumni, all recent graduates, participated in a three-day, cross-campus shadowing experience, observing classrooms and school environments, and reflecting on key similarities and differences across campuses through focus groups. Findings indicated that climate, engagement, and equity are shaped not only by curriculum, but by the interaction of policies, relationships, physical spaces, and consistency of expectations. Classrooms emphasizing interaction, relevance, and structure fostered higher engagement, while policy coherence and institutional routines strongly influenced culture and predictability. Equity was operationalized differently across campuses, ranging from proactive support to systems-driven approaches to relationship-based responsiveness. Cross-campus exposure allowed alumni to compare schools and recognize trade-offs between structure, flexibility, autonomy, and support, deepening their understanding of how institutional context shapes student experience. This study affirms that understanding inter-school differences requires centering those who have experienced these disparities firsthand. Implications extend to practical application, cross-campus collaboration, and future research.

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses and dissertations are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors, unless otherwise indicated.

Recommended Citation

Antos, Justin Matthew, ""Where The Grass Is Greener": Youth Participatory Action Research Examining The Lived Student Experience Through Cross-Campus Shadowing" (2026). Dissertations of Practice. 111.
https://huskiecommons.lib.niu.edu/allgraduate-disspractice/111