Exploring roles in teacher–researcher collaboration: examples from a Swedish research–practice partnership in education

Abstract

ABSTRACT Research – practice partnerships (RPPs) engage the diverse perspectives of researchers and teachers, transforming both educational research and practice. However, an increased understanding of the day-to-day activities of research conducted within RPPs, and of the role of teachers and researchers in this research, is needed. In this study, teachers and researchers involved in research projects framed by a Swedish RPP between a university and thirteen municipalities were interviewed. In total, we interviewed twelve teachers and researchers in a selection of four research projects in this RPP. We studied how teachers’ and researchers’ roles evolved over the phases of the research process and found that collaboration was more extensive during the data collection phase than during project initiation and data analysis and reporting. We also found that characteristics of the project’s initialising phase were consequential to the evolution of teachers’ and researchers’ roles in later phases. This study contributes to the literature on collaborative research by elaborating on teacher and researcher roles across the research process. This knowledge will assist the development of strategies for conducting collaborative research in education.