Identifying Implications of Tensions in a Series of Collaborative Self-Study Groups

Abstract

Drawing on 14 years of collaborative self-study group work at their university, East and Fitzgerald reviewed the data, stories and findings from that collaborative work, seeking to go beyond those original stories to identify practical implications of the tensions that emerged and played out within the various groups. Findings were shared and reinterpreted by a colleague, distant both literally and figuratively, who named taken-for-granted aspects of the work and provided alternative perspectives to expand our understanding. This review of our self-study groups refined our understanding of the nature and process of collaborative self-study work in which we strive to support each other with the objective of helping each other change our practice. Our analysis can inform others who want to pursue collaborative group self-study. Additionally, in going beyond our stories, we found that the tensions in our work mirror the tensions in the larger self-study field as it considers its relationship to mainstream educational research.

Keywords:

• collaborative self-study
• tensions
• dialog
• story validity
• barriers
• professional intimacy