Teacher Empowerment through Collaborative Action Research: Concepts, Possibilities and Challenges

The study focuses on teacher empowerment through the process of collaborative action research (CAR) and highlights the possible benefits and barriers in the given approach. Data compiled from focus group interviews, classroom observations and document analysis conducted in schools from the district of Mirpur Sakro, Thatta in the province of Sind reveals that teachers eagerly participated in the problem solving process and its implementation within the classrooms. CAR involved formation of clusters whereby mathematics teachers from various schools were asked to come together to understand and interpret the National Curriculum 2006 and although clusters were formed, inter school collaboration was not achieved.

It was observed that teachers viewed researches as supervisors rather than co-inquirers and it is thus recommended that space is provided within the timetable so that CAR group can meet and identify problems and design solutions to various problems arising. Teacher engagement within the problem solving process was significantly high whereby teachers recognized that lack of mathematical knowledge prevented them from effectively conducting lessons and senior teachers were identified as a means to provide knowledge. The findings of the research indicates that collaborative action research is an effective means of granting empowerment to teachers and providing them with an opportunity to have a say in the decision making process.