ABSTRACT
The diffidence in sharing the second study was matched by an equally strong confidence in the value of the third. This was Vicki’s major research enterprise. There was a thirst in the school for insights from the research, as Vicki explained in a mid-course interview. The research process itself raised new awareness and self-reflection amongst school colleagues. It was a school-wide study, so most teachers were implicated in data gathering. This may have been a factor contributing towards the keen institutional interest. The ‘blue book’ aroused discussion and focused attention for many of Vicki’s colleagues. It created a sense of collegial participation as well as a sense of fun. Vicki needed a tough skin in order to withstand the institutional banter which the study caused. The communal humour also mediated and attenuated the differences of opinion between teachers and management.
