Concept of participatory approach in learning

Learning should be understood as a meaning-construction process. To achieve such meaningful learning, the basic activities in the process of knowledge creation must be directed towards the construction of meanings for the learners themselves. Therefore, learning strategies should be implemented that provide learners with the tools to construct their own corpus of learning strategies and thus contribute to their holistic learning.

The concept of participatory learning emphasizes learning through active engagement, participation, constructing knowledge and participation in the learning experience through collaborative learning, co-learning and engagements. In participatory learning, learners are at the center of learning. Reciprocal processes between learners are essential to create multiple and strong relationships to carry out learning activities for continuous learning by producing knowledge, harvesting knowledge to generate more new ideas and contributing back to the community.

Most participatory approaches involve small groups, usually with learners of different levels of ability, working together to solve a group task where each member is individually responsible for a part of the outcome that cannot be achieved if the members do not participate/work together. Members are positively independent and use a variety of learning activities to enhance their understanding of the subject. In participatory learning, the role of the learner is crucial and vital, as it is the learner who can achieve the distant conditions of his/her learning, and the teacher as a facilitator of the learner's autonomy building. By allowing learners to take control of their own activity, it signifies their involvement in the educational task, as the initiative will come from within each learner, thus responding to their interests and needs.

Participatory learning is a leaner centered approach. Learners take control of their own activity and participate in decision-making. The facilitator and learners negotiate together to define content that reflects the needs and demands of the learners. In participatory learning, the learner does not learn alone, but in the company of a group or peers who learn cooperatively together. In participatory learning, learning is a process that goes beyond the four walls of the classroom and is not confined to the classroom.

Participatory methods comprise a range of activities with the common thread of empowering ordinary people to take an active and influential part in the decisions that affect their lives. This means that people are not only listened to, but also heard, and their voice shapes the outcomes.

Researchers, community members, activists and donors use participatory methods. Because respect for local knowledge and experience is paramount, the results of interventions reflect local realities, often leading to better-supported and longer-lasting social change. Participatory methods can be used in all phases of the project cycle related to development aid, whether people are involved in analysis, joint decision-making, planning or reflection. They are also useful in political processes as a tool to strengthen citizen participation, promote rights and hold the powerful to account.