The Collaboration Process in Professional Development Schools: Results of a Meta-Ethnography, 1990-1998

Professional development schools (PDSs) are becoming a significant trend in teacher education reform, a trend that necessitates further study. One of the most critical aspects in the formation and maintenance of a PDS is the collaboration process between a school and a university. This study was designed to identify the characteristics of the collaboration process in PDSs. Meta-ethnography, a methodology that allowed the researcher to synthesize multiple qualitative case studies, was used to analyze 20 case studies about the collaboration process in PDSs. These 20 case studies were selected using both a content screen and a methodological screen. Following the selection process, each case was read, coded, and analyzed for themes and patterns. The findings of the study revealed 12 themes about the collaboration process in PDSs. These themes emerged in the situational, structural, process, and relational dimensions of the collaboration process.