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.