Research-practice partnership as a model for teacher professional learning

Research on research-practice partnerships (RPPs) provides little insight into the value of the partnership for partners and participating teachers. As part of the research program to investigate various facets of the partnership that inspired this book, this chapter presents a research that explored whether and in what ways engagement in an RPP contributes to teachers’ professional development. During the years of the RPP’s existence, in-depth interviews with 20 teachers and 10 school principals were conducted. The analysis yielded three main themes, each encompassing several categories. The first theme was the development of professional knowledge and skills. The second was teachers’ personal-professional growth, and the third was the transformation of the school into a learning and research-focused organization.