The aim of this workshop was to create a space for learning about different ways of working together across professions and knowledge bases and to provide an arena for discussing opportunities and challenges that arise through different forms of collaborations relating to democracy in schools.
Research on or research with
One important distinction presented in the workshop was how different school collaboration with researchers can be. One experience is characterized by academics coming in the school on a fixed time schedule, defining the purpose of meetings, introducing an academic vocabulary for phenomena that the school already has an established language for expressing. Such collaboration does not provide much inspiration for teachers and school leadership and the knowledge production remains external to the school. The school experience of being involved in collaborative action research was presented as a contrast where researchers and school representatives work together as reflective practitioners engaging in participatory problem-solving and continuing professional development.
Research and development circles
Another example of teachers, school leaders and researchers working together on deepening democracy in school presented at the workshop is the Research and development circle. This is a collaborative methodology where participants start out by reading and discussing research literature to develop a common language for connecting practical experiences in schools to theory. Second, they work together to develop and implement innovative classroom strategies and lesson plans. The workshop was concluded with a visit to one of the participating schools in the research and development circle. Here, the workshop participants had the opportunity to discuss democracy in schools with local students.
