Right Here, Right Now: Effective Interprofessional Collaboration in Education from the Perspectives of Primary School Teachers in Aotearoa New Zealand

Abstract

This research aims to develop a deeper understanding of what factors contribute to effective interprofessional collaboration in education from the perspectives of primary school teachers in Aotearoa New Zealand. A qualitative constructivist methodology was used involving semi-structured telephone interviews with seven teachers working in primary schools in Aotearoa New Zealand. Four main themes were established: Collaboration is viewed as one teacher and one professional working together; immediacy is perceived as the most important component of support in IPC in education; effectiveness is identified as observable changes in the learner; and the classroom represents the space through which teachers view collaboration. The overall picture provided in the current research was that IPC in the primary classroom setting remains a siloed entity done in addition to and exclusive from the rest of school business. A tension appears to exist between teacher autonomy and collaboration.