Teachers and student teachers co-creating: relatedness, agency in supporting inclusion, and meaningful participation in research

In research, co-creation across sectorial borders is emphasised as beneficial for both teacher education and schools. This paper presents two case studies examining the meaning-making of teachers and pedagogues (professional practitioners: PPs) and student teachers (STs) in co-creation projects facilitated by college professors. The STs subsequently used material from their participation in these extracurricular projects as data for their bachelor projects. A research design was applied incorporating multiple qualitative data sources including repeated interviews. Data analysis was performed as a thematic analysis. Findings across cases show the positive experience for both PPs and STs of developing personal-professional competence and agency, i.e. to support social inclusion. A major theme is the experience of relatedness across groups with respect for and appreciation of each other. Additionally, STs refer to meaningful learning focused on mastering. Nevertheless, some autonomy in choosing an inquiry focus for the bachelor project also seems important. In particular, the PPs refer to the importance of bottom-up work with local everyday challenges. Furthermore, they reflect on a changed understanding of what research can be, e.g. co-creation and action research allowing their voices to be heard.