Using poverty simulations to teach about poverty - an action research study

Abstract: Aim: The purpose of this research study was to investigate the effect of a poverty simulation activity on 9th-grade students’ understanding of poverty. Theory: This study´s theoretical framework was built on Dewey´s theory of Experiential Education, Kolb´s Experiential Learning Cycle, and various critical approaches toward Experiential Learning and Education. Method: This research study was designed as an educational intervention with elements of Action Research. A mixed-methods approach was applied, consisting of pre-test and post-test questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews. The analysis was done by using descriptive statistics and content analysis. Results: While the pre- and post-questionnaire showed that students endorsed more structural explanations of poverty, the semi-structured interviews revealed that the students tended to overestimate the individual effort in getting out of poverty. The intersectional approach employed in the simulation did not prove to help avoid “othering” and instead, drew a line between “us” and the “others”. Most students tended to relativize poverty, which they associated with negative phenomena such as alcoholism, homelessness, and abuse of the welfare system.