Authentic High School Research Experiences: A Meta-synthesis

Research is often associated with both positive outcomes and arduous experiences for high school learners. This meta-synthesis aimed to synthesize findings that examined the day to day interactions and practices among research-engaged high school classrooms and how high school learners engaged themselves in the writing of a research paper. The synthesis generated 6 distinct themes with opposing concepts:

(1) mapping out the journey vs. navigating independently;

(2) privileging product over process;

(3) driving on training wheels vs. steering independently;

(4) teaching the life beyond while neglecting the primary and secondary skills;

(5) climbing the brick wall vs. finding the silver lining and

(6) living the new prescription vs. misconstruing research digitization.

The synthesis translated into two higher-order concepts:

(1) disorientation on inherent challenges and non-preparation for system reworking and

(2) balancing preparations and expectations. These concepts consider the experience among high school learners as a foundation for improved instructional practices among teachers and research institutions.