Research Interests
Youth Voice: I study youth voice and leadership, particularly focusing on what social problems youth identify in their classrooms and communities. I research how youth develop solutions to problems through methodologies of Youth Participatory Action Research and Design Based Intervention Research.
Teacher Learning and Development For Justice and Equity: I study how teachers counter adultism by working with their students toward equitable, liberatory classroom environments and practices for all students.
Restorative Discipline: I study how youth and adults understand, critique, and improve restorative discipline in highly minoritized communities, specifically among young people who are perpetually pushed out of classrooms, schools, and districts.
Positionality as a data point in race research
Milner, H.R., Singer, J.N., Parks, L.F., Murray, I. & Lane-Bonds, D. (2024)
Qualitative Inquiry
Selected Publications
Diversity and opportunity gaps: Teaching for equity in today’s classrooms
Parks, L.F. (2024, in press)
Meltzer, L. & Dunstan-Brewer, J. (in preparation), Executive Function and Social-Emotional Learning: Creating Classrooms that Engage Students, Mitigate Stress, and Promote Academic Success.
Youth talk about culturally responsive teaching and learning in outside-of-school contexts
Parks, L.F. and Milner, H.R. (in review).
Curriculum Inquiry
Future Work
Future Work
In my future work, I will continue to advance our understanding of how adults and youth can work together to identify and solve problems in their schools and communities.
For example, I am continuing research-practice partnerships with a large school district to design tools for student voice in classrooms.
In addition, I am curious about the possibility of Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) in third spaces in order to address the limitations of YPAR in the contact zones of schools.