The role of stories in the formation of a university/public school collaborative identity

Abstract

This paper describes how two women, a university professor and a public school teacher, discovered how they had used the power of stories to develop the trust and understandings which were precursors to their engagement in collaborative teacher research. Stories became an intervention that promoted dialogue and helped to establish a collaborative identity. Collaboration between universities and public schools allows educators to engage jointly in research and rethinking of practice. The paper discusses the difficulties they experienced trying to break down barriers while bringing both voices to their writing and research. It also raises numerous questions about university/public school partnerships and the time, energy, and commitment needed to recognize the potential of this type of inquiry to the ‘world’ of teacher research. © 1996, Copyright Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.