University-School Partnerships and Educational Network Research: The Benefits and Challenges of Getting Your Hands Dirty

• In Event: Thursday Roundtable Session 9:00 am
  In Roundtable Session: School Effectiveness and School Improvement Round Table #1 (Table 15)

Abstract

This paper aims to draw on two cases of Research-Practice-Partnerships as diverse examples of school-to-school networks to illuminate the possibilities and pitfalls of university-initiated collaborations contrasting different cultural and policy contexts. This paper applied the Socio-cultural theory (Douglas, 1982) to public service organisations (Hood, 1998). Trust remains a significant issue in the Chilean context, although many networks have been useful in supporting key actors to facilitate and lead improvement. In Scotland, a partnership working and collaborative approach is enshrined in policy to support the development of a networked learning system. These two cases will illuminate the opportunities and challenges faced by systems wanting to improve education through networking, albeit from contrasting political and philosophical positions.

Authors

• Mauricio Pino-Yancovic, Universidad de Chile

• Christopher James Chapman, University of Glasgow