Collaboration in teacher design teams: Untangling the relationship between teachers’ experiences of the collaboration process and their perceptions of the redesigned curriculum

This qualitative case study involved exploration of the experiences of teacher educators (n = 6) who collaborated on a curriculum design task. The study offers insights into collaboration processes of teacher design teams in relation to the outcomes of the collaborative work, in the specific context of a curriculum innovation. The role that the collaboration process played in teachers’ perceptions of the designed curriculum is described using concepts regarding the nature of collaboration. Results from in-depth interviews and storylines indicated that positive collaboration experiences during the design process explained teachers’ positive and/or more explicit perceptions of the designed curriculum. However, perceptions related to the curriculum rationale were an exception to this general pattern: They remained diverse and superficial. Recommendations for practice are given in the form of design guidelines.