Research with African Adolescents: Critical Epistemologies and Methodological Considerations

Whereas much research with adolescents in Africa engages them mainly with respect to issues limited and explicitly related to youth, this research note makes epistemic and methodological arguments for engaging adolescents more broadly in our research about Africa. I present a practical application of research design and methods based on these arguments through a study with adolescents in a secondary school in Ghana in which I engendered their enthusiastic participation in the research process. Through this, I demonstrate how taking a critical approach to epistemologies and methodologies in research with young participants can expand and enrich our knowledge of and about the continent.