‘A guided walk in the woods’: boundary crossing in a collaborative action research project

Abstract

This article discusses the ideal and practice of collaboration in a collaborative action research project in which university researchers work together with staff from the field of primary education. A qualitative case study was conducted using the theory of boundary crossing to make sense of the ways collaboration took place within the project team. The main theme, also a major dilemma in the project, referred to the transition from a democratic towards a more directive approach within the project design after the first year. The members of the project team took shifting and ambivalent positions within the project as they were trying to cross boundaries between the different goals of the project. Also, boundary objects on different levels contributed to the collaboration. We conclude that clear boundaries between groups or a strong shared identity, as proposed by an insider–outsider model of action research and the notion of first-order democracy, are not helpful in complex collaborative action research projects. Instead, we need the development of second-order democracy means in order to cross boundaries and sustain a critical dialogue about differences.

Keywords:

• Action research
• collaboration
• democratic processes
• Boundary Theory
• education

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Funding

This work is funded by National Board Practice Oriented Research (the Netherlands) [grant number PRO-3-35].

Acknowledgements

The author expresses gratitude to all research team members for their critical views on the first analysis of the material and our co-learning in collaboration: Linda Keuvelaar, Helma de Keijzer, Karin Diemel, Roos van Vulpen, Ellen Rohaan, Anouke Bakx, Piet Vogel, Ritie van Rooijen, Dorine van Eijk.