ITALIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY OF EDUCATION

This special section of the Italian Journal of Sociology of Education focuses on the dissemination of the first stage of an international pilot action research project. The research focuses on improving teacher and student participation in institutional processes and practices to improve learning and learning outcomes. The research team includes professional researchers from Higher Education Institutions working in partnership with secondary schools. The pilot is to test the quality dimensions of the research design to inform a larger research project for which the team is seeking funding. This paper focuses on the research design, shared aims, and methodologies that were developed and applied by the research team for all the cases in this journal including: England, India, Israel, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and Russia. The paper also reveals some tentative findings. Overall, the findings that are important for education leaders and managers reveal committed pedagogical relationships require participation and commitment of all agents in the rehearsal of power sharing and the politics of democracy. However, within an agenda of performativity and standardised curriculums there is little time for developing pedagogical relationships. The evidence also reveals that the characteristics that participants most valued regarding their relationships within their community and of their institutions included trust, respecting the self and the other, agreeing to disagree or resolving conflict peacefully, and recognising diversity through inclusive practices.