Youth-Led Research: Middle and High School Youth Narratives on the Impact of COVID-19

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted how schools operate; in 2020, most schools across the U.S. experienced closures and a transition to remote learning. Families were forced to transform their homes into classrooms while facing many challenges, including lack of space, poor internet, reduced income, and physical and mental health challenges. To better understand how young people experienced these changes, a youth participatory action research project was employed to allow young people to name, explore, and share their experiences during this time. Nine high school students were trained as researchers to conduct interviews with their peers. Interviews were conducted with 36 middle and high school students from one suburban school district in Minnesota. Data were coded into five themes: mental health, changes in priorities or goals, youth voice/youth engagement, family/home and school intersection, and disruptions. This study reveals young people’s narratives on the impact of COVID-19 on their family and school lives – both the challenges and opportunities it created. Findings also reveal how a youth-led research approach can be used to explore issues that surround and affect young people.