Problematizing the role of expert within small‐scale school‐university partnerships

Abstract

Since 2001, two teacher educators from distinctive midwestern universities have been engaged in partnerships with two local urban school districts that resulted from their personal relationships with educators and school leaders. By applying Macedo and Freire's (2001) framework of analysis, this article shares their dialogic reflection and assessment of the impact of their roles, intentions, and modes of operandi as qualitative researchers and the effectiveness of pursuing contextually relevant transformative agendas within these partnerships. This reflective analysis provides the forum for examining emergent issues and practices relevant to the intersection of these school and university communities, provides insight into the personal and professional commitments of those involved, and the potential for pursuing similar efforts to advance this agenda.