Transgressed Boundaries: Reflections on the Problematics of Culture and Power in Developing a Collaborative Relationship with Teachers at an Elementary School

Abstract

In this article the author reflects upon his experiences trying to develop a collaborative relationship with teachers in his role as a part-time science coordinator for their school. The author suggests that, despite his egalitarian intentions, he inappropriately transgressed institutional boundaries that demarcate the world of university-based researchers and public school teachers. In crossing these boundaries particular power relations were enacted that became an unstated yet powerful force in their relationship. Drawing upon a post-structuralist conception of power, the author interprets various critical incidents in his interactions with teachers as at least partially constituted by power relations that were constantly negotiated and contested in their relationship. Power is not viewed in structural terms of dominance and subordinance, but as circulating throughout the relationship and manifesting itself in various ways. Furthermore, these power relations are rooted in the historical development of universities and schools and serve as a backdrop for their relationship. This hierarchical relationship was inscribed into their relationship and manifested in various ways, ultimately mitigating against the development of a collaborative relationship.