The isolation of collaboration: An exploration of the nature and extent of collaborative practice in a converter academy

Bell, Anne

Abstract

Policies promoting collaboration have been introduced to counteract the policies of autonomy and school Marketisation. This thesis sets out to find the implications and extent of practitioner collaborative practice within a converter academy in England, examining models of collaborative practice critically through a case study lens. Central to the study is the policy ethos behind converter academies and a probing of the requirement to support and work with ‘weaker’ schools. This study considers the extent of such work and the experiences of the practitioners within the case academy, using questionnaires and interviews, exploring the tensions emanating from the contradiction of local and national drivers.
The Findings show that practitioners’ perceptions of the models of collaboration have changed over time and current policies have led to teacher isolation. Practitioners value collaborative practice and understand its benefits but find that policies within the academy as well as time pressures of demanding roles within education mean it is often just an add on to the day.
The conclusions drawn from the study suggests that in the case academy the policies drivers for collaboration have led to teacher isolation as well as contrived collaboration. This is derived through policies that force collaboration through a lack of trust in teacher professionalism.

Citation

Bell, A. The isolation of collaboration: An exploration of the nature and extent of collaborative practice in a converter academy. (Thesis). University of the West of England. Retrieved from https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/909467

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 7, 2019
• Keywords: collaboration, policy, academy
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/909467
• Award Date: Jul 28, 2016