Lärares professionella utveckling - ett aktionsforskningsbaserat projekt i samarbete med elever

Sammanfattning: It is often argued that one of the important aspects of action research is its´ emancipatory aim. However students are rarely directly involved in teachers´ professional development. This paper explores how students can be involved in teacher development based on action research theories. The study involved four Upper Secondary teachers, teaching students aged 16 to 18, who worked in a school development project throughout a school year. Their aim was to improve a certain aspect of their teaching based on suggestions put forward by the students. The teachers used various methods for continuous reflection on their progress, such as observation, coaching and individual written reflection. Students were also invited to assess their teachers´ professional development. The teachers themselves found that this was a feasible way of improving their teaching skills. The majority of students believed their teachers developed professionally. Several teachers and students also reported that relations between students and teachers improved during the time of this study.The paper ends by offering a re-modelling of the model put forward in 2013 by Helen Timperley for school development, by adding a starting point where students are asked to define what they need from their teachers to better succeed in their studies.