“Everyone is Willing to Help Each Other”: Collaborative Practices in Nunavut Schools

During a constructivist grounded theory research study which sought to understand how Nunavut educators experienced the implementation of a new literacy framework, participants shared stories of how they collaborated with their colleagues to provide effective literacy instruction. Teacher collaboration has been linked to improved educational outcomes for students. Given this, it is important to understand how the teachers who participated in this study collaborated. Using Little’s (1990) continuum of collegial relations as a theoretical framework, this work suggests that teacher collaboration in Nunavut schools often lacks the depth of joint work. However, even less collaborative experiences contribute to the professional learning of teachers and help to improve their instructional practices. An exploration of the collaborative activities of these teachers identifies directions for future research.