HR: 09:45h
AN: ED21A-08    [PDF]
TI: Building Trust and Commitment in Scientist-Teacher Partnerships
AU: * Walker, B A
EM: rwalker@geo.arizona.edu
AF: Department of Geosciences, The University of Arizona, 1040 E. 4th St., Tucson, AZ 85721
AU: Hall-Wallace, M K
EM: hall@geo.arizona.edu
AF: Department of Geosciences, The University of Arizona, 1040 E. 4th St., Tucson, AZ 85721
AB: Scientific partnerships bring individuals from different cultures together to achieve mutual goals, make decisions, exchange ideas, and contribute resources (Gomez et al., 1990.) These collaborations have the potential to benefit both parties, but forming functional partnerships between two different work-environment cultures is difficult. We were interested in determining what governs their success. CATTS (Collaboration to Advance Teaching Technology and Science) is an NSF GK-12 fellowship program that fosters relationships between graduate and undergraduate CATTS scientists and K-12 teachers. A case-study approach was used to examine the dynamics of partnership development. Specifically, we looked for patterns in the behavior and attitudes of partners to understand why some partnerships are successful and others fail. We used classroom observations, journals, surveys, and interviews with scientists and teachers to establish these patterns. By their nature, the evolution of every scientific partnership is unique, and the outcome is unpredictable. However, the case-study approach allowed us to understand some of the attributes of successful and unsuccessful partnerships. Frequent communication was essential, especially in defining the roles and responsibilities of the teacher and scientist. Setting mutual goals and expectations was necessary, but the flexibility of both partners was also crucial as goals and expectations typically evolved as the partnership progressed. The most successful partners shared classroom and planning responsibilities in ways that utilized the strengths of each partner. This promoted greater exchange of scientific and pedagogical knowledge and experience between the partners and made the scientist and teacher feel as though their respective contributions were important. When both partners felt welcomed, invited, and appreciated, investment in the partnership remained high. Because it takes time and negotiation to build trust and commitment, forming partnerships is an iterative process.
DE: 6605 Education
SC: Education and Human Resources [ED]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting