The aim of this paper is to present a research strategy within the paradigm of participatory research based on "university-school research teams".
This strategy has been developed as a part of the " Aprenem del SUMMEM " (Learning from what we add up to) Research Project and aims to analyse the impact of the Project`s impact. This project is an initiative of the Escola Pia de Catalunya, an educational institution that has, among other entities, twenty educational centers for infant, primary and secondary education, located in different cities and villages in Catalonia, six of which are located in the city of Barcelona. The initiative called “SUMMEM”, as explained below, aims to improve the teaching-learning processes in schools from two main focuses: “cooperative learning” and “learning itineraries”, two strategies for improving classroom work and teaching in which the teaching staff of the centres receive training simultaneously with the development of research.
At the beginning of the "SUMMEM" innovation project in all twenty schools, the project's coordinating team considers the need to carry out simultaneously and in parallel, research into the impact of the changes that occur. Therefore, the main purpose of the research is to collect data that promotes learning - from the innovation process itself to improving and evaluating its impact on teaching practice and student learning. This research is called " Aprenem del SUMMEM ".
First, we will present the theoretical framework and the relevance of these "university-school research teams" in relation to other research. The following is the context in which the "Aprenem del SUMMEM" research project was developed, the aims, objectives, phases, instruments and results and conclusions. The central and broadest part is the description of the teams, and their objectives, composition, constitution processes, functions and tasks.
In this context, it seems appropriate to take as a reference for research, contributions on participatory action research (Chevalier and Bucless, 2013), the use of inquiry to guide innovation processes (Lieberman and Millar 2003). , proposals for how to target "communities of practice" (Wenger, 2003), and the strategy of learning cooperatively to teach cooperation (Lago, et. al) 2011 in order to configure the criteria for developing a process of collaborative research in line with the inclusive research of Parrilla and Serra (2015).
In the analysis of participatory research carried out by Parrilla, Raposo, Martínez (2016), the role of the participants is highlighted (Walmsey, 2004). Likewise, in this type of research, the transformative function of educational practice is developed from the joint construction of the knowledge of all participants (Nind, 2014) with the purpose and potential to generate changes in the individuals, groups and institutions in which participatory research is embedded.
According to the characteristics proposed from this research model, the research design of the "Aprenem del SUMMEM" was carried out, in which the "university-school research teams" presented in this communication.