Facilitating critical reflection on practice through collaborative research

This paper emanates from a study that analysed the critical reflection of teacher researchers as they talked about their investigations of the home cultures and literacies of a small group of children from socioculturally diverse family contexts. The collaborative research enterprise was undertaken by university and teacher researchers. The important role that collaborative teacher research and social interaction played in the critical reflection and co-construction of professional understandings in the project is the focus of this paper. The teacher researchers’ theorising about the complexity of their work as a result of the collaborative enterprise is discussed. Through the voiced research and critical reflection of the teachers, it has become obvious that their life’s experiences and resources are powerful in their pedagogical theorising. Teachers comment on the way in which they are positioned by ‘the system’ as technicians and how they experience tension between their own professional and primary discourses and that of the system. It is suggested that teachers be given opportunity within their work sites to enter the conversations about curriculum, pedagogy and change in knowledgeable and meaningful ways that are grounded in collaborative reflection and research. This paper explores the critical reflection and the social construction of new understandings about the complexity of teachers’ work that occurred in a collaborative research project carried out by a university-based researcher and four school-based early years teacher researchers. It will show how the collaborative research process facilitated critical reflection on previously unquestioned or unconsidered issues about the teachers’ work. The paper has been written by the university researcher under the watchful eye of the teacher researchers who want to remain anonymous. Their pseudonyms have been used. When the terms of this project were negotiated among the group, it was agreed that the voices of the teachers would always be reported authentically and anonymously. It was also agreed that any theorising, integrated language analysis (Freeman, 1996) or reporting that might be carried out, would be done by the university researcher That is not to say that the teacher researchers have not spoken about their involvement in the project to colleagues in professional development forums and conferences. Nor is to say that the teachers were not privy to the analysis process. It is to say that written reports for publication are to be done by the university researcher.     

Teaching practices and teachers' perceptions of group creative practices in inclusive rural schools

The central purpose of this paper is to highlight the research in a context where inclusive education is recognised within current global challenges in education. We aim to present different teaching practices and perceptions of teachers from rural schools regarding attention to diversity, before and during a collaborative action that reinforces and develops creative teaching practices. Participant observation, informal conversations and video-recording are the methods that we used. The data show the adoption of relevant group creative teaching practices and the development of inclusive thought. These aspects seem to promote the access to the curriculum of all children. The collaborative work is interpreted as encouraging the professional development. The study is of interest as it shows how the knowledge of creative teaching practices from a collaborative work can be systematised. This paper considers implications for founding research that contributes to the comprehension and development of educational contexts of diversity.     

WWW-Based Environments for Collaborative Group Work

Since 1994, we have been involved in the design and use of a series of WWW-based environments to support collaborative group work for students in a technical university in The Netherlands. These environments, and the course re-design that accompanies each new environment, began in April 1994 and continue to the present (March 1998). What are the major issues emerging from this stream of experiences? What are the major lessons we have learned about the design and deployment of WWW-based environments to support collaborative learning in project groups in higher education? How has HCI (human-computer interaction) research informed our work? These questions will be addressed in this paper. One conclusion is that HCI research needs to become more focused on supporting HHD (human-human dialogue) than on human- computer interaction in order to better support collaborative learning in higher education. © IFIP, published by Kluwer Academic Publishers     

‘Working the ruins’ of collaborative feminist research

In this paper, I enact an ‘inquiry among the ruins’ of a collaborative feminist duoethnography. Through the process of exploring instances of failure, I aim to (re)think ‘collaborative’ research, feminist goals for collaborative research, and a space for such research in the academy. As I work the ruins of a duoethnography, I read failures as a series of paradoxical ‘betrayals’ in hopes of being ‘accountable to complexity’ so to open up spaces for new ways of theorizing and practicing collaborative feminist research.     

Learning from warthogs and oxpeckers: promoting mutualism in school and university research partnerships

In this article it is argued that metaphors can be useful in explaining the ways academics and teachers can work inter-dependently, using action research, to achieve different, but mutually beneficial outcomes. The authors explore several metaphors used by other writers to capture some of the essential characteristics of research partnerships, while playfully advancing their own biological metaphor of mutualism to emphasise the importance of inter-dependence and reciprocity in collaborative partnerships. They then draw on their experiences working in several major Australian projects, which employed collaborative action research as a reform mechanism. They discuss – with separate school and university (voices) – three issues that have emerged from their participation in these projects; the difficulties of establishing mutually beneficial partnerships, the different cultures of universities and schools, and using action research as a school reform process. The authors' reason for highlighting these issues is to demonstrate that participants' perceptions of project events and processes differ, and that perspective taking – being able to ‘see’ others' points of view – is a key component of collaborative work.     

We make the road by walking together: New teachers and the collaborative and context-specific appropriation of shared social justice-oriented practices and concepts

This study examined the work of a collaborative group of six new United States-based social studies teachers from the same social justice-oriented teacher education program (SJOTEP). Shared practices and concepts introduced previously in the SJOTEP were developed and appropriated to their classrooms and schools in consideration of the local context, through the collaborative problem-solving process of the group. It is argued that SJOTEPs and TEPs committed to issues of diversity, democracy, inclusion, and/or equity should be collaboration-based, teach a coherent and consistent social justice-focused curriculum, and provide post-graduation collaborative support and research it.     

Characteristics of Pre-Service Teachers’ Online Discourse: The Study of Local Streams

This study describes the characteristics of pre-service teachers’ discourse on a WebCT Bulletin Board in their investigations of local streams in an integrated mathematics and science course. A qualitative analysis of data revealed that the pre-service teachers conducted collaborative discourse in framing their research questions, conducting research and writing reports. The science teacher educator provided feedback and carefully crafted prompts to help pre-service teachers develop and refine their work. Overall, the online discourse formats enhance out-of-class communication and support collaborative group work. But the discourse on the critical examination of one another’s point of views rooted in scientific inquiry appeared to be missing. It is suggested that pre-service teachers should be given more guidance and opportunities in science courses in carrying out scientific discourse that reflects reform-based scientific inquiry.     

Absent and Accounted For: Absenteeism and Cooperative Learning*

In a small section collaborative learning environment where student work teams promote mutual learning about investments, students limit the opportunity to learn from other students if they are absent from class. Absenteeism not only denies the student the opportunity to learn from others but also denies other members of the student's work team the opportunity to learn from the absent student. Other team members' absenteeism should be costly for individual performance if collaborative learning fosters learning and retention. The research finds that while absenteeism is detrimental to the student's own performance, absenteeism of other team members from team activities has a significant negative effect on both individual exam and homework scores. The conclusions validate the benefits of active learning and of encouraging attendance in collaborative learning environments in all disciplines.     

Teaching collaborative skills with a group leader computer tutor

This paper discusses how a group leader computer tutor may aid students in learning collaborative skills in a co-operative learning environment. However, students need to learn collaborative skills and practice using them. The group leader computer tutor discussed in this paper is designed on the principles of co-operative learning, intelligent tutoring systems and computer-supported collaborative work within an intelligent collaborative learning system (ICLS). The group leader aims to facilitate group work on the task level and to teach students how to use collaborative skills in the discussion level as students work on networked computers in the Jigsaw method of co-operative learning. The ICLS and its group leader were used by two classes at a liberal arts university. Qualitative research shows that the students' co-operative attitudes changed and academic achievement improved from pre- to post-treatment. Students, especially, used the communication skill of openness in comment type discussions. The students enjoyed working collaboratively through the ICLS and their teachers thought that the experience was valuable for them.     

Developing holistic practice through reflection,action and theorising

This article outlines how I, as a primary teacher engaging with a self-study action research process, have come to a deeper understanding of my practice. It explains how I have also come to an understanding of why I work in the way I do; of how this understanding influences my work, and the significance of this new understanding. My work as a teacher frequently includes doing collaborative digital projects with my class. As I engaged in research on my practice, I initially experienced difficulties problematising this work. I struggled to achieve clarity not only with engaging in critical thinking but also with articulating my educational values. I found Mellor’s idea about ‘the struggle’ helpful as he explains how ‘the struggle’ is at the heart of the research process. My new understanding around these collaborative projects emerged in terms of holistic practice; clarifying my ontological values and learning to think critically. I am now generating an educational theory from my practice as I see my work as a process for developing spiritual and holistic approaches to learning and teaching. I conclude by outlining what I perceive to be the significance of my work and its potential implications for education.     

Exploring the complexities of the relationship between K-12 and college faculty in a nontraditional professional development program

In this collaborative research project, we used qualitative methods to explore the complexities of the relationship between K-12 and college faculty, both in the context of graduate school (to improve professional development), and as colleagues whose goal it is to improve education for children through collaborative partnership. Ultimately, we wanted to understand what constitutes a transformative relationship. The research team found that through a collaborative and reciprocal process of struggling together to understand the inconsistencies created as we work to transform teacher education and K-12 education, we could foster intellectual development for both faculty and students.     

Beneath the tip of the iceberg: exploring the multiple forms of university–industry linkages

This article focuses on the wide variety of channels through which the process of knowledge transfer occurs. The overall objective is to show the complexity of relationships between researchers and firms in a university system, and to identify some specific factors that influence such interactions. Our case study involves a face-to-face survey of 765 heads of research teams in a regional system to contrast the multiple forms of university?Cindustry collaborative linkages. Drawing on the exploitation of a data set developed for the purpose, we show that for a majority of universities the thrust of their collaborative experiences is devoted to tacit knowledge rather than to intellectual property rights. Researchers actively engage in the provision of different services to firms such as consulting work, commissioned or joint research projects, and human resources training. Research teams also participate in non-academic knowledge dissemination and informal networking. The results of our study enable us to draw some policy implications for university administrators and policymakers. A focus on patents and spin-offs as indicators of collaborative research ignores the limits of many of the economic and productive contexts in which universities are embedded. It may also be detrimental to the strengthening of emerging trends that are oriented towards softer collaborative experiences and other forms of knowledge transfer.     

The Experience of Collaborative Assessment in e-Learning

This paper examines the various ways in which students talk about their experience and perceptions of collaborative review and assessment as it occurs in e-learning environments. Collaborative review and assessment involves the student, their peers and tutor in thoughtful and critical examination of each student's course work. The process involves two stages: review and discussion of the student's work with a view to bringing different critical yet supportive perspectives to the work. This is followed by the use of two sets of criteria to make judgements on the student's work: one set provided by the student, the other by the tutor. The purpose of collaborative assessment is to foster a learning approach to assessment and to develop a shared power relationship with students. From analysis of face-to-face interviews, examination of e-learning discussions and student-completed questionnaires, a set of analytic categories was built describing the learners' experiences of collaborative e-assessment. These categories are: (1) the appropriateness of collaborative assessment; (2) collaborative assessment as a learning event; and (3) the focus for assessment. The paper focuses on analysing and discussing these categories of experience. The research shows that a positive social climate is necessary in developing and sustaining collaborative assessment and that this form of assessment helps students to reduce dependence on lecturers as the only or major source of judgement about the quality of learning. Students develop skill and know-how about self- and peer assessment and see themselves as competent in making judgements about their own and each other's work, which are surely good lifelong learning skills.     

Students learning orientations and adult work: The SLOG project

Over the past few years a collaborative research network known as the Students Learning Orientations Group (SLOG) has been developing new measures of learning orientation among secondary school students in England, India, Japan, Malaysia, Nigeria and Sri Lanka. The research is part of a long-term project examining the links between student learning orientations and subsequent work orientations and behaviour. This paper describes briefly the research problem, the objectives of the international study, the organisation of the collaborative research network, the annual research workshops, problems of funding and research design, methods and preliminary results.     

The teaching researcher: faculty attitudes towards the teaching and research roles

Results from a survey on faculty attitudes towards the teaching and research roles are presented. Attention is given to: (i) the perceived value of teaching (and teaching achievements) relative to research, (ii) approaches for research and teaching integration, (iii) the satisfaction gained from typical work tasks, and (iv) the importance of various work-life factors. Factors such as academic freedom, an intellectual work environment, flexible work hours, inspirational colleagues, and work diversity are found to be highly valued. Support from peers and colleagues is also seen as a key in learning to manage the different academic roles. A relatively low value is attributed to teaching achievements. Likewise, there is often little utilisation of teaching opportunities to support research work (other than senior-year research projects). Female faculty were found to give marginally a higher importance to teaching recognition and collaborative teaching opportunities. Based on the findings, general recommendations for supporting the teaching researcher are presented.     

行动研究:教师科研新方法

本文论述了中小学教师应如何使用行动研究的方法进行科研,并认为行动研究可以加速教育科研“产业化”。行动研究以合作的定性研究为主,实地研究和反思是行动研究的关键,日记是重要的环节。本文以笔者正在研究的一个课题为例对行动研究的方法作了详细的介绍。     

Engaging MSW Students in Faculty Research: Students’ Perspectives of Involvement in a Program Evaluation

Engaging social work students in research is challenging, in part, because of the way research is taught in the classroom and the need for learners to effectively develop connections between the “abstract world” of research concepts with the “real world” of professional experiences. This article describes the experiences of graduate social work students involved in a process and outcome evaluation of a community-based program. Analysis of student learning outcomes and the team-based model used to engage students in the evaluation are provided to put forth a paradigm of teaching social work research through direct, supervised, and collaborative engagement.     

Dissidence,difference and diversity in action research

This article served two purposes. First and foremost, it gave the author an opportunity to re-visit, and acknowledge, some ways in which her professional relationship with John Elliott and other professional friends influenced her work in action research. Second, it enabled the author to revisit current ideas held in two areas of interest that have, over the years, grown out of departure from, as well as identification with, John's own work. The first relates to the personal and emotional dimensions of theory in action research and the second, to issues of methodological creativity. In re-visiting these two areas of interest, the author tries to synthesise them in a new way in order to explore the connections between the personal, the emotional and the innovative in action research methodology. In this, the article attempts to link issues related to the ‘I’ of the action researcher with the ‘we’ of the collaborative research group. It is argued that our ‘self’ is implicated deeply in action research methodology, whatever form that might take. The emotional and social climate in which the ‘I’ operates is consequential. This means that we need to take a holistic view of the action researcher as person, and of collaborative colleagues as enablers and supporters, if we are to optimise the powers that can be brought to the process of enquiry and change. The article also tries to be ‘true’ to the notion that one's ideas, theories and work are shaped by what Wayne Booth calls ‘the company we keep’.     

Neo‐liberal Subjectivities and the Limits of Social Change in University–Community Partnerships

In this paper the authors analyse a university–school partnership that went awry. It was designed to develop a new set of philosophical principles to inform work with violent student behaviour in schools. The project brought together a team of researchers from the university and school sector with a strong record of examining and improving the management of behaviour in classrooms. The authors sought volunteer school‐based educators to work with them as co‐researchers. Despite the team's strong school‐based research background, the mutual interest in developing a new approach to work with violence, and the strong collaborative base, they found themselves, as the initiating research team, unable to progress in the ways they had anticipated. This paper analyses the dynamics at work in that lack of progress. The analysis is put forward with the hope of enlivening discussion about what makes for successful collaborative projects between schools and universities.