This paper analyzes the tensions between researchers/teacher educators and practicing teachers in a collaborative project focused on diversity, multilingualism and social justice. The collaborative action research project involves teacher educators working in a teacher education program that explicitly emphasizes these themes. The primary aim is to deepen a common understanding of diversity, multilingualism and social justice within the teacher education program's profile. Specifically, it seeks to understand what characterizes a school that prioritizes these themes in its teaching and operations, as well as what defines collaborative learning in a partnership process involving teacher educators, partner schools, and teacher students. 

In this study, diversity encompasses various dimensions, including language, ethnicity, sexuality, religion, gender, ability, and social class. Addressing each student’s uniqueness while adhering to principles of social justice presents challenges in everyday school settings. Social justice, rooted in equality, requires teachers to recognize the importance of norms and representation and to reflect on how power, oppression, and privilege manifest in society and educational contexts (Björkman & Bromseth, 2019; Gorski & Pothini, 2018). 

Collaboration with schools where teacher students complete their internships is vital for teacher education programs. Effective partnerships demand consensus, open communication, and a mutual commitment to ongoing development, ensuring that students' internship experiences align with their overall education. This collaboration emphasizes collaborative learning and fosters a partnership for learning (cf. Day et al., 2021). Recognizing that different partners possess varied expertise is also essential for enriching the collaborative process. 

The teacher educators involved in this project are active researchers in the field, while the teachers in partner schools are experts in didactic issues and relationships related to everyday school life. Teacher students should have opportunities to develop research-based knowledge in these profile areas during both theoretical courses and internship periods. 

In an equitable and mutually reinforcing teacher-researcher collaboration, the ideal is for teachers' reflections and critical questions to continuously enhance and challenge researchers' understandings, while researchers support teachers in their professional development as lifelong learners (Beauchamp & Thomas, 2009). The study assumes that the development work is partnership-based. Although these partnerships are founded on mutual respect, they are not devoid of potential tensions regarding expectations of professional roles and developmental tasks. 

This research focuses on the tensions that arise when both parties discuss issues related to diversity, multilingualism and social justice in a school context. The material consists of 26 transcribed interviews and discussions. The research question is: What kinds of tensions regarding issues of diversity, multilingualism and social justice have been identified in the research collaboration between university researchers and teachers in local schools? 

Theoretically and conceptually, we start from the concept of tension. Alsup (2006) identifies various types of tensions in the teacher education context, including those between personal beliefs, skills, and professional role expectations. In this study, tensions are understood broadly to encompass challenges, struggles, frustrations, and general discomfort related to the issues at hand, in line with the definition used in Capello (2020). Previous research indicates that these tensions generate a need for professional identity development and become apparent in interactions between perceived present and future selves, as well as in romanticized perceptions of the teacher and school reality (Anspal et al., 2019; Schatz-Oppenheimer & Dvir, 2014). 

The collaborative work studied falls within the framework of a partner school network, reflecting the diverse systems for student teachers' practice found across Europe. Recognizing these different structures and systems is essential, as they influence the opportunities for effective teacher-researcher collaboration and shape the experiences of student teachers during their internships. 

The studied research project is connected to a teacher education program in Finland that emphasizes diversity, multilingualism, and social justice in education. This program is rooted in a large-scale research center focused on injustices in the Nordic countries (see Holm, 2018). The primary aim is to prepare student teachers who can promote equity, justice, and inclusion for all pupils. Pre-service teachers act as boundary-spanners by integrating theories, recent research, and research-based practices into schools (Cornér et al., 2024). The program encourages student teachers to adopt a professional stance aimed at fostering more inclusive and just educational environments. Despite equality and equity being foundational principles of the Finnish educational system, only a small proportion of teachers engage sensitively with issues of gender, social class, language, and race (Alisaari et al., 2025). This study broadens perspectives and engagement with schools and school networks in the region (SUP). The SUP model offers an authentic learning environment and a broad network for the professional development of pre-service teachers, staff in partner schools, and teacher educators. Farrell’s (2021) model of partnership practice illustrates our goal of creating a “transformative model” where partners’ involvement is based on continuous and active professional learning (Farrell, 2021, p. 6). The aim is to connect school-based practice with other learning and research activities, including engaging action research projects that benefit all participants. The design is based on collaborative action research (see Messiou, 2018) and teacher students participated as research assistants. The teachers expressed their interest in participating in the research project and its various work packages after information sessions. Informed consent has been obtained, and all relevant ethical principles have been considered (TENK, 2023). Over three years, researchers and teachers in the schools met for interviews and discussions. In total, 26 transcribed interviews (both individual and group) constitute the empirical material. The material has been analyzed through an inductive cross-reading of the data, allowing researchers to identify emerging themes related to diversity, multilingualism and social justice. In the analyses, we approach tensions as an umbrella term. The focus has not been to view tensions as potential conflicts or confrontations, but rather to identify and further analyze points in the conversations and interviews that express the participants' understanding of and attitudes toward these themes in school contexts. A concrete example is how they frame their remarks, for instance, by using passive phrases (Dražnik et al., 2024).

The study will provide increased insight into how the differing perspectives of teachers and researchers converge around a central theme that permeates an entire teacher education program. Furthermore, the findings are expected to enhance development of students’ internship, considering that students operate at the intersection of theory and practice. The study also aims to offer greater visibility into the processes surrounding teacher professionalization, with a particular focus on the importance of teachers meeting in groups. Preliminary analyses indicate that it is essential to note the context in which tensions arise during discussions. Tensions manifest in various forms, stemming from researchers’ observations of classroom dynamics and teachers' perceptions of their practices. We need to further explore how the different parties in the discussion perceive and manage the tensions that emerge. For instance, researchers may highlight aspects of diversity that teachers have overlooked, prompting critical reflections in conversations. These interactions often reveal underlying assumptions held by teachers, particularly regarding traditional views on issues such as gender. Researchers must navigate the delicate balance of addressing sensitive topics without appearing overly professional or detached. Teachers frequently express feelings of inadequacy when addressing the challenges posed by diversity, multilingualism and social justice in their classrooms. One teacher noted, “We sometimes discuss that we feel we've lost our pedagogical touch; we don’t feel sufficient, and there’s always this sense of not measuring up.” At the same time, the teachers' perspectives and experiences constitute a fundamental part of the project. Researchers need to be able to relate to the teachers' opinions and reflections for the project to progress and develop in mutual understanding and shared trust. The findings suggest that tensions are not solely linked to direct discussions of diversity; rather, they can emerge indirectly through language, terminology, and the framing of issues.

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