Learning of Professionals Due to Boundary Crossing in R&D Projects in Schools

• In Event: Learning of Professionals in Schools: Creating New Settings for Professional Development

Abstract

Purposes
Research and development (R&D) projects in education are increasingly of interest among American and European policymakers and researchers (NAPDS, 2012; NTRP, 2012). In R&D projects teachers, school leaders and external educational researchers and advisers collaborate in practice-based research. Traditionally these professionals work in different activity systems, but by crossing boundaries the professionals have the opportunity to learn from each other (Akkerman & Bakker, 2011; Broekkamp & Van Hout-Wolters, 2007). Our purpose is to gain insight in how boundary crossing in R&D projects contributes to learning of professionals involved.

Theoretical framework
By crossing boundaries professionals are able to connect elements of another activity system with their own. Boundary crossing provides learning experiences for the professionals involved in R&D projects, e.g. for a teacher that participates in research or an external researcher that is working practice-based (Engeström, 2001; Hora & Miller, 2011). Four learning mechanisms due to boundary crossing can be distinguished (Akkerman & Bakker, 2011):
- identification: professionals question their own position in the light of the other and stick to their role.
- coordination: professionals show effortless movement between activity systems by translating elements of the other activity system.
- reflection: professionals take the position of the other.
- transformation: professionals solve problems and change their activity system by using elements of the other activity system.

Methodology
This study included eighteen R&D projects in secondary schools in the Netherlands. Data were collected in three rounds of interviews with pre-structured interview guidelines. Twenty-eight project managers (school leaders and teachers), nine teacher researchers and thirty-one external researchers and advisers have been interviewed. Interview transcripts were analyzed with coding schemes derived from theory on boundary crossing and learning. Fragments were put in cross-site matrices that provided an overview of professionals and corresponding learning processes in which patterns on learning where found. These results were checked by another researcher as a form of audit.

Results and conclusion
Almost every professional has been learning in the R&D project due to boundary crossing, although there are differences:
- Identification: 30% of the school leaders and 15% of the researchers are attached to their own role.
- Coordination: 20% of the professionals, situated in three projects, show natural movement between the activity systems of the academic world and the school practice.
- Reflection: 45% of the teacher researchers and researchers often take the position of the other.
- Transformation: 40% of the professionals change their role and activity system, including teachers that change their practice after participating in teacher research.
Boundary crossing does provide learning opportunities, resulting in more insight into one owns role and sometimes in an extension of the traditional role someone has in a project.

Significance
This study contributes to the knowledge base on boundary crossing, because almost all professionals in the context of R&D projects were learning due to boundary crossing. These results can raise awareness with professionals of the learning potential by crossing boundaries. Further studies are needed to explore how learning of professionals contribute to changes in their activity system.

Authors

• Wouter Schenke, University of Amsterdam

• Monique L. Volman, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Research Institute Child Development and Education

• Jan H. Van Driel, Leiden University

• Femke Geijsel, University of Amsterdam