An exploratory study of teachers' perceptions of international collaboration for knowledge building

The purpose of the study is to explore how teachers perceive international collaboration for knowledge building and what they have learnt in the process of international collaboration. The main research question is: How do teachers perceive international collaborative knowledge building projects? The aim is to unfold teachers'perceptions and experiences about their particpation in internationally collaborative knowledge building projects during the academic year 2009-2010. The study applies a multi-methods approach, containing an online open-ended survey, personal reflections and email messages. Discussion is done in different aspects: teachers' learning processes, factors affecting teachers' participation, as well as teachers' perceptions of the importance of international collaboration, support and resources for facilitation of knowledge building projects. Recommendations and limitations of the study are presented.