Collaborative autoethnography as a Tool for Research–Practice partnerships: Facilitating Self and School Transformation

Abstract

A research–practice partnership (RPP) is a collaborative, long-term partnership between researchers and practitioners. Autoethnography is a form of qualitative research where researchers recount stories of their personal experience to reflect on and better understand the wider cultural, social, and political world around them. In this paper, we demonstrate a collaborative approach to autoethnography that can serve as a useful tool for studying and transforming school culture with teachers and administrators in a middle school. We identify the key components of our approach and provide a detailed summary of how each element was applied and highlight the ways the inquiry process contributed to self and school-level transformation. We also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using autoethnography for RPPs in schools and discuss future directions for methodological development