This paper reports an evaluation of an innovative university-school partnership in which teacher practitioners work as university lecturers in a regional Australian pre-service teacher education programme. The philosophy of this programme encompasses authentic partnerships between universities, schools and other industry employers. The study was motivated by an interest inunderstanding the experiences and outcomes for the teacher practitioners and in documenting their experiences. Staff members who are currently on contract as university lecturers as well as teachers who have completed secondments and returned to school settings are surveyed. This paper focuses on suggestions to improve the partnership and discusses future directions for the partnership.

A fundamental partnership: the experiences of practising teachers as lecturers in a pre-service teacher education programme

This paper presents an array of structural configurations that invite new consideration of the necessary conditions for developing systemic school reform; first by reviewing the current literature, and then by examining thirty-six existing partnerships as structural configurations, an exploratory typology for the analysis of successful school-university partnerships is developed. The basis for three models is derived from Mintzberg’s five-part framework adapted for schools and universities. The paper concludes by noting the strengths and weaknesses of the three models, and suggests areas for inquiry, no matter the model chosen for a school-university partnership.

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Three Configurations of School-University Partnerships: An Exploratory Study.

Clifford, Matthew, and Millar, Susan B. (2007). K–20 Partnerships: Literature Review and Recommendations for Research Federal programs, such as the National Science Foundation’s Math and Science Partnership program, are promoting K–20 partnerships (partnerships between K–12 and higher education institutions) in hopes of fostering greater alignment and cooperation among participating institutions, and pooling resources within institutions to address persistent problems associated with poor student performance. To identify what is known about K–20 partnerships and assess the rigor of the available research, the authors undertook a literature review. They identified 36 research articles that met pre-established selection criteria, reviewed all articles, and conducted an analysis of the literature. The analysis addresses the following questions: (1) What inquiry methods have been used to study K–20 partnerships, and what is the rigor of the methods?; (2) How is partnership defined?; (3) What do we know about the formation, process, and results associated with partnership? The authors conclude that the K–20 partnership literature lacks methodological rigor and scope, that partnership is inadequately defined in essentially all cases, and that the research about how K–20 partnerships form and function, and what they achieve contains significant gaps. Despite these weaknesses in the literature, a strength is that multiple, independent qualitative researchers working with a grounded approach and in different contexts arrived at similar conclusions about factors associated with success and failure. They recommend that future research articles begin with a clear definition of the term partnership, build upon and extend available research through replication studies and diversification of samples, pay closer attention to the contexts in which K–20 partnerships operate, and include findings on how K–20 partnerships form, and how they function.

K-20 Partnerships: Literature Review and Recommendations for Research. WCER Working Paper No. 2008-3.

Postgraduate students are excellent role models for school students, where their passion and energy play a vital role in engaging younger students and spreading enthusiasm and excitement about science. However, participating in outreach is not a one way activity for these postgraduate students. Through focus groups we show that the postgraduate students perceive that there are many benefits for themselves. These benefits are identified and discussed. This paper also contrasts the postgraduate with their undergraduate counterpart in terms of their contributions to engagement activities.

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The many positive impacts of participating in outreach activities on postgraduate students

An essential component of teacher preparation is clinical practice that allows teacher candidates (TCs) to observe, reflect upon, test their ideas, and adjust and improve their methods in classroom...

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0022487119858992

From Mediated Fieldwork to Co-Constructed Partnerships: A Framework for Guiding and Reflecting on P-12 School–University Partnerships:

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School-University partnerships

This paper explores teachers' objectives when engaging their students in University outreach programme. Their perceptions of the short-term and long-term effects of outreach engagement on their students are explored. Seven out of twelve teachers interviewed (all from state schools) believed there were long term effects such as a rise in students taking science at pre- university level. Three out of twelve believed it was too difficult to tell and two believed there were no effects (both from independent schools). However, all teachers believed the activities enhanced interest and would continue to participate. Further exploration of these general findings is presented.

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What value has chemistry outreach by a university department to secondary schools? teacher perceptions of bristol chemlabs outreach events

Polymer Chemistry days run by Bristol ChemLabS at the School of Chemistry, University of Bristol for year 10 (14-15 year olds) school students are described. Pre and post questionnaires were analysed to determine the impact on attitudes to science. There was no change in attitudes to the importance of science or practical work in science, but increases were observed in attitudes to learning science in school, self-concept in science, science outside of school and future participation in science. Using a two-tailed t-test at the 2σ level of significance (95% confidence level) or higher a 'combined interest in science' (combining items from learning science in school, science outside of school and future participation in science) was significantly increased. Using a two-tailed t-test at the 3σ level of significance (99% confidence level) or higher self concept in science was increased. Such an increase at such a high tolerance level is noteworthy. Both males and females attitudes to science increased as a result of the polymer workshops but scores for males were consistently higher than for females. Students studying individual science subjects (triple science) and combined science at GCSE (UK) both returned very high scores for enjoyment of the day. The results of these surveys are discussed in detail in the paper.

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University-School Partnerships: Polymer Chemistry Days Run at a University for 14-15 Year Olds and Their Impact on Attitudes to Science.

Analysis of the average number of applicants received from schools that engaged in the Bristol ChemLabS Outreach program prior to a student‟s application with those that did not engage, shows a significant increase in applicants from engaged schools. The significance is weaker when just Post 16 students are considered but this is almost certainly due to a smaller sample size. When this analysis was inspected in terms of the distance of the school from the University of Bristol, there was an increase in the number of applicants from engaged schools irrespective of distance. However, a statistically significant increase was observed for schools within 50 miles of the University from an analysis of just Post 16 students. Students who applied to the department from an engaged school were more likely to accept an offer and also to make the department their firm acceptance. A slightly higher number of applications that were rejected came from engaged schools too. There are two possible reasons; first, the engagement may have encouraged more students who did not have the required entry qualifications. Second, during the period of analysis, the overall entry grades went up by one grade each year. Such a dramatic rise was probably the reason for the slightly elevated numbers.

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On the impact of the Bristol ChemLabS’ outreach programme on admissions to the School of Chemistry

Spectroscopy covers a wide range of analytical techniques, a small sub-set of which UK pre-university chemistry students are required to study. The expense of such equipment means that it is not available to the vast majority of schools whilst it is commonplace in university chemistry departments. This article discusses the evolution of the Bristol ChemLabS spectroscopy outreach activities. The advantages and disadvantages of this method of engagement for both the participants and the providers are discussed from 10 years of activity.

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Amanda Shaw

Papers

School-University partnerships

What value has chemistry outreach by a university department to secondary schools? teacher perceptions of bristol chemlabs outreach events

University-School Partnerships: Polymer Chemistry Days Run at a University for 14-15 Year Olds and Their Impact on Attitudes to Science.

On the impact of the Bristol ChemLabS’ outreach programme on admissions to the School of Chemistry

School-university partnerships: Lessons learned from 10 years of spectroscopy for teachers and post 16 students