Learning Communities in Educational Partnerships

Learning Communities in Educational Partnerships shows how theory and practice come into lived interplay in social spaces where theory informs practice and practice turns into theory. Drawing on their own experiences of becoming a learning community, the authors introduce the ideas underpinning self-study action research. Through a series of first-hand practitioner accounts, the chapters describe and explain how to engage in processes of inquiry and establish learning communities, how to make space for professional conversations and how to develop living theories from within daily practice.
The book shows how meaningful change can take place, both in educational improvements and also in more transformative professional learning, when educators are encouraged to draw on their own personal educational values and share their idea

Máirín Glenn works as a teaching principal in a primary school in Co. Mayo, Ireland. She also works as a part-time tutor in the area of self-study action research with many of the teacher education programmes in Ireland.
Mary Roche is a lecturer in teacher education having spent many years as a teacher. She is author of Developing Children's Critical Thinking through Picturebooks (Routledge 2015)and has developed literacy support materials for National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (Ireland).
Caitriona McDonagh has spent many years as a primary teacher. She is a supervisor for school placement with the Froebel Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education, Maynooth University and supervises action research projects in Mathematics for postgrad students at the University of Limerick, Ireland.
Bernie Sullivan is a former principal of a primary school in Dublin, Ireland. She has worked as a tutor for second-level student teachers on school placement with St. Patrick's College, Thurles, Ireland. She currently supervises action research projects in Mathematics teaching for postgraduate students at the University of Limerick, Ireland.

Foreword, Etienne Wenger-Trayner
Acknowledgements
Glossary
Introduction
1. A Professional Partnership, Máirín Glenn
2. Action Research as the Glue in Professional Learning Partnerships, Máirín Glenn
3. Learning Communities as Sites of Transformation, Bernie Sullivan
4. A Theoretical Explanation of the Practical Significance of Learning Communities, Bernie Sullivan
5. Professional Conversations as Integral to Self-Study Action Research for CPD, Mary Roche
6. Initial Teacher Education and School/College Partnerships: The Potential role of Self-Study Action Research, Mary Roche
7. Tapping into Experiential Knowledge in Whole-School Communities, Caitriona McDonagh
8. What's in This For Me? - From the Perspective of Participating Teachers, Teacher Educators and Leaders, Caitriona McDonagh
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index