Despite the challenges of ensuring smooth communication between researcher
and research participants, the school leadership team had significant confidence in
the process, for several reasons. The questions the school wanted to ask cohered
with the research questions. The school had confidence that the research plan had
sound methodology, designed by a‘research professional’. I recognised the value of
teachers and students speaking freely with an external person, who would preserve
their anonymity. Relatedly, the school community would have greater confidence in
the results established by an unbiased, independent researcher, who would also be
able to locate these results in a larger national and global educational research
context. Finally, from a purely pragmatic viewpoint, no one in the school would be
able to devote the time and energy into both the research and analysis that is
possible when working with a university researcher.
The research relationship described here has demonstrated the benefit of col-
laborations between schools and universities to confidently meet important edu-
cational challenges. An external researcher brings a collection of unique skills and
resources to a school context that schools are unlikely to ever be funded for.
Furthermore, the objective pair of eyes places the problem and the results of the
research into a broader perspective.
From the view of a Deputy Principal with a complex task to complete, having
the resources and skill of a university researcher has solved many problems. Our
school-university partnership has suggested ways of giving TAI a wider scope,
moving from practice in individual classrooms to collective practice. Given that
teachers without postgraduate qualifications have had less exposure to conducting
research, the school-university liaison gives such teachers opportunity to learn these
skills from an accomplished practitioner.
20.7 Researcher Perspective
20.7.1 Background to the Research
Important features of the concept of‘twenty-first century learning’in New Zealand
schools are the use of digital technologies and, increasingly, use offlexible spaces.
It is claimed that the widening and deepening use of technologies, especially (but
not only) mobile technologies will encourage (even demand) new pedagogies and,
in turn, require teachers to take up an increasingly critical (self-reflective) orien-
tation (Wright 2010 ). The promise of the introduction and use of digital technology
to the classroom is for students to become better engaged, more highly motivated
and able to engage in critical and collaborative learning (2010).
The research discussed in this chapter was developed from a larger, on-going
study commenced in 2013. This qualitative study has focussed on the work of
teachers and the strategic actions of leaders at a selection of New Zealand schools.
In 2015, it has explored, interpreted and sought greater understanding of modern
teaching and learning practices, and the transitions teachers and school leaders
304 L. Benade et al.