Essential lessons about inter-school networking

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to analyze with a retrospective approach the origin, development and activities undertaken in a network from the point of view of participant teachers. It was an inter-school network made up of 7 pre-school and primary schools of the same locality in Galicia. A community approach to social and educational inclusion; the communities of collaboration and inquiry and the so-called inclusive and participatory research are the theoretical roots of the study. Data sources used to document the inter-school network were of two types, data produced ex profeso to analyze the perceptions of teachers (pedagogical discussion, interviews and round table), and as a secondary source, data collected during the actions developed in the network (audiovisual records of meetings, minutes, etc.) The information was analyzed through a content analysis on various categories, agreed upon with the participants. The results of the study identify the processes involved in the development of the network, the content and activities of the same, the patterns of collaboration developed, and its value to the teachers. The article concludes by raising 10 essential lessons that make up the fundamental elements in the construction, maintenance and work on the network inter-school studied.