The+Evolution+of+a+school-university+partnership+-+Understandings+from+an+autoethnographic+study

**The evolution of a school-university partnership: Understandings from an autoethnographic study** Christine Siegel, Associate Dean, Fairfield University [csiegel@fairfield.edu] Wendy Kohli, Professor, Fairfield University [ wkohli@fairfield.edu] Allison Rivera, President, St. Martin de Porres Academy [arivera7777@aol.com] Kelly O’Leary, Principal, St. Martin de Porres Academy [Kelly.oleary@gmail.com] Kameron Isaacs, Teacher, St. Martin de Porres Academy [kameron.isaacs@gmail.com]



** Keywords: ** Autoethnotraphic techniques, school-university partnership, constructivism, situated learning theory

** Track: ** Community partnerships and reciprocity

** Format: ** Team Presentation


 * Date & time: ** Thursday 3:20-4:30
 * Location: ** Salon 5

**Summary:** Community-based participatory research has begun to investigate collaborative partnerships to understand how such relationships are established and maintained. The present study reports on the evolution of a two-year school-university collaboration where community members began participation at the earliest possible point and have maintained high levels of involvement. Using constructivism, situated learning theory, and Jesuit philosophy as theoretical frameworks, personal narratives were analyzed to examine the evolution of this collaboration. Results describe perspectives and relationships among members and delineate processes that characterize the partnership. The application of autoethnographic research methods to study partnerships is described.

At least four individuals in different roles of the partnership, including university professors, school administrators, and teaching interns, will participate as researchers and subjects. Each researcher-subject will write an autoethnography to document his/her personal experiences. These narratives will serve as the primary source of data. Using qualitative analytic techniques (Strauss & Corbin, 1990), researcher-subjects will reduce the narrative data through the iterative-development of a coding scheme, organize the coded-data in a grounded-theory model, and depict the model in a description of the partnership.

The proposed team-presentation will contribute to the literature on community engaged scholarship by delineating processes that transpire when establishing, maintaining, and sustaining partnerships. Additionally, results will contribute to an understanding of the multiple perspectives of and interactions between members. Finally, the presentation will illustrate the potential of autoethnographic research techniques to inform the development and progression of university-community partnerships.

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Anderson, J.R., Reder, L.M., & Simon, H.A. (1996). Situated learning in education. //Educational Researcher, 25(4)//, 5-11.

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Duminuco, V.J. (2000). //The Jesuit ratio studiorum of 1599: 400th anniversary perspectives//. Bronx, NY: Fordham University Press.

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Martin, S.D., Snow, J.L., FranklinTorrez, C.A. (2011). Navigating the terrain of third space: Tensions with/in relationships in school-university partnerships. //Journal of Teacher Education, 62(3)//, 299-311.

Rappaport, N., Alegria, M., Mulvaney-Day, N., Boyle, B. (2008). Staying at the table: Building sustainable community-research partnerships. //Journal of Community Psychology, 36(6)//, 693-701.

Reason, P. & Bradbury, H. (Ed). (2001). //The SAGE handbook of action research: Participative inquiry and practice//. London: Sage.

Strauss, A.L, & Corbin, J. (1990). //Basics of qualitative research: Grounded-theory procedures and techniques//. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.

Terlecki, M., et al. (2010). The Crabby Creek initiative: Building and sustaining an interdisciplinary community partnership. //Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship, 3(1)//, 40-50.

Yin, R.K. (2003). //Case study research design and methods//. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

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