A Cultural Perspective on School-University Collaborative Research. Topical Paper

This paper analyzes the process of collaborative research at Harvard University's Educational Technology Center, focusing on the conflicts or tensions that reveal differences in the cultures of schools and universities. It clarifies differences between schools and universities in tacit assumptions and values, in customary language and norms, and in organizational structures. The introduction discusses the current need for collaboration in research on effective instructional methods and materials to effectively prepare students for a rapidly changing, information-based society. Following this, a background section discusses the Educational Technology Center's mission and approach. It also outlines the methods employed in the collaborative research process. Next, exemplary vignettes are presented to illustrate the stages in the collaborative research process: defining targets of difficulty, diagnosis of the root of the difficulty, designing and pilot testing interventions, designing and conducting teaching experiments in classrooms, and analyzing and reporting research results. The subsequent discussion focuses on themes that emerge from these vignettes about collaborative research: maps of the subject matter domain; the nature of basic and applied research; the nature of knowledge, teaching, and learning; time considerations; and ownership and responsibility. The paper concludes with recommendations for sustained commitment, reciprocal exchanges, mutual education, and rewards for collaboration. A bibliography is included. (TE)