Leveraging the relationship: knowledge processes in school–university research networks of master’s programmes

Abstract

This study investigated the way developing, sharing and using of research-based knowledge occurred in the school-university research network of a master's programme for in-service teachers in the Netherlands. Over a 10-month period, a combination of quantitative and qualitative network data was collected. Data were analysed at three network levels: school, pairs of master's students and research supervisors, and individuals. Overall, results indicate that building knowledge productive relationships in a master's programme is a complex endeavour. Although individual master's students and research supervisors aimed for continuing knowledge processes in school and university after student's graduation, few actually did. The school context and the strategies of research supervisors provided students with too little support for sustaining the knowledge processes. This study shows from a network perspective the complexities, challenges and potential of developing partnership relationships in a master's programme between schools and universities as well as between master's students and research supervisors.

Teacher Education’s Challenge of Changing Research Relationships With Schools

“…Recent literature outside education (Phelps, Heidl, & Wadhwa, 2012;Tasselli et al, 2015) as well as in (teacher) education (Cornelissen et al, , 2015Hakkarainen et al, 2008) suggest that studying each of these levels (personal, pair, and whole network) can provide insight into complex social phenomena, such as the developing, sharing, and using of knowledge as knowledge exists at all levels in the system.…”

“…In earlier studies, we explored each of these two cases separately (Cornelissen et al , 2015. In this study, we aim at gaining a deeper and broader understanding of the partnership approach in postgraduate master's programs for in-service teachers in particular and in TE in general.…”

Unpacking (in)formal learning in an academic development programme: a mixed-method social network perspective

“…There is an increased recognition in the literature (Cornelissen et al, 2014;Rienties & Kinchin, 2014;Roxå & Mårtensson, 2009;Roxå, Mårtensson, & Alveteg, 2011) that informal contexts of academics, and academic development in particular, play an important role how academics are discussing and reflecting on their teaching practice, which in turn helps them to shape, construct and adjust their beliefs and actions towards teaching and learning.…”

“…However, there are few studies on how participants engage in dialogue with each other, socially co-construct and share knowledge together beyond the formal AD programme environment (Cornelissen et al, 2014;Van Waes, Van de Bossche, Moolenaar, De Maeyer, & Van Petegem, Forthcoming). It is necessary to unpack how participants in AD programmes learn from the experiences of each other, as research has highlighted that social network developments influence learning processes and learning outcomes (Cela, Sicilia, & Sánchez, 2014;Hommes et al, 2012;Katz, Lazer, Arrow, & Contractor, 2004).…”

“…A secondary goal is to highlight the potential advantages and limitations of using social network analysis (SNA) methods in conjunction with qualitative approaches for academic developers to understand the (in)formal learning processes in their academic development programme. Using data collected from two consecutive implementations of an academic development programme in the UK, in this mixed method study we triangulated SNA (Baker-Doyle, 2014;Cornelissen et al, 2014;Katz et al, 2004;Rienties & Kinchin, 2014) with qualitative techniques (free response exercise, interviews) in order to unpack how 114 academics built and developed (in)formal learning relations. SNA techniques are criticised by some researchers (McCormick et al, 2010) for providing limited insights into teachers' networks and they suggest it can only be used as a metaphor on how teachers develop networks; however, in this mixed method study we aim to illustrate that SNA can be a useful method for academic developers and researchers to obtain insights in the (in)formal learning processes of AD, which can be used for further development of the programme.…”