Supporting the writing up of teacher research: peer and mentor roles

Abstract

This study focuses specifically on the writing up process of relatively inexperienced teacher researchers. The data consist of interviews with 11 teacher researchers at a private university in Turkey. There was evidence that mentor-supported collaboration created a socio-constructivist learning environment, leading to the development of academic writing skills. This was achieved by research partners sharing responsibility and negotiating the writing process and content. The data suggest that this process led to the teacher researchers experiencing longer term learning and greater autonomy as writers, although not all benefitted from collaboration, possibly because of conflict due to perceived differences in commitment. The study's implications highlight the importance of participant commitment, and, in particular, a supportive institutional environment. In the current study, the mentor played a key role in supporting the intrinsic motivation of the teacher researchers, but also in providing the essential instrumental motivations of conference presentation and publication opportunities.