Aspects of School–University Research Networks that Play a Role in Developing, Sharing and Using Knowledge Based on Teacher Research
Source: Teaching and Teacher Education, Volume 27, Issue 1, January 2011, Pages 147-156 .
(Reviewed by the Portal Team)
The goal of the present study was to explore and describe which aspects of a school–university research network play a role in processes of developing, sharing and using knowledge based on research by Master’s students.
The authors combined three perspectives on a network to better understanding of knowledge processes that take place within school–university research networks. These perspectives were members, relationships, and context of events.
Research questions
Specifically, research questions to be answered by this study were the following:
1. Which aspects of network members play a role in processes of developing, sharing and using knowledge based on research by Master’s students?
2. Which aspects of the relationships between network members play a role in processes of developing, sharing and using knowledge based on research by Master’s students?
3. Which aspects of the context of events in the network play a role in processes of developing, sharing and using knowledge based on research by Master’s students?
Selection of participants
Participants were selected from a Dutch Master’s program for Special Educational Needs in which Master’s students (i.e. in-service teachers) conduct practice-oriented research (in primary or secondary education).
The selection of participants took place in two stages.
Two research supervisors were selected through a short questionnaire.
In the second stage, snowball sampling (Patton, 1990) was used to track down colleagues within the schools of the Master’s students and the university department of the two supervisors.
In this way 21 participants were sampled in the networks of the two supervisors.
Data was collected by means of six semi-structured group interviews.
A coding system was developed to analyze aspects that play a role in knowledge processes within a school–university research network.
Fifteen aspects of a school–university research network were recognized in the processes of developing, sharing and using knowledge based on research by Master’s students. Five aspects were connected to the perspective of the network element ‘members’, four to the element ‘relationships’ and six to the element ‘context of events’ .
The fifteen aspects, distinguished in this study, provide guidance to schools and university in fostering environments in which valuable knowledge is developed for pupils and in which it is shared and used effectively. Here research supervisors could play an important connecting role. They could use these aspects to engage in conversations and activities with Master’s students and their schools, seeking ways to share and use knowledge in their practice. In the same way they could use these aspects to create opportunities for sharing and using valuable knowledge within the university and its curriculum.