Team Roles in Collaborative Research

Abstract

The Research School?! network engages teachers, student-teachers, and teacher educators in a systematic effort to address educational challenges through collaborative research. Over the course of a school year, teams analyze practical issues, implement evidence-informed solutions, and evaluate their outcomes. In this symposium, we present from both a practice (part 1) and research perspective (part 2) how the Brussels CityScope Lyceum involves pupils and other stakeholders as partners in this school development process. The CityScope Lyceum's real-life story showcases how the school since 2021 has progressively expanded its research team to include a broader range of stakeholders, starting with pupils, followed by parents and experts. This participatory approach has not only led to new and interesting team dynamics, but, it has also fostered widely supported solutions to the educational challenges. A single case study conducted at CityScope Lyceum during the 2022-2023 school year investigates team dynamics within this extended collaborative research team. Concept map-mediated interviews were conducted with 13 members of the research team to gain insight into the role allocation and conceptualization of single actors within the team, and their perspectives on how these roles contributed to breakthroughs in the school development process. The findings reveal discrepancies in team members' role conceptions and highlight the need for clear communication to promote equality and positive dynamics. Some actors assign themselves roles that are not recognized by others, while others reject assigned roles. Recommendations include proactively aligning roles, promoting awareness of responsibilities and encouraging dialogue on shared responsibility to improve school development outcomes.