The Conflicts and Resolution Related to an International Collaborative Learning Activity between a Teacher and Outside Collaborators

Abstract

This case study between Elementary School K in Japan and an NGO School N in India is to identify how the teacher in India adjusted to conflicts, encountered when working with collaborators, who were conducting an international, collaborative learning activity outside of the school. The author analyzed the data based on Cross-contextual Learning Theory to describe the discord between the teacher and the collaborators. The research utilized teachers' meetings, e-mail records, memos and interviews minutes for data collection. Based on analysis of the results, the author identified conditions that a teacher recognized as two conflicts, which were "conflict in the difference in the experience with university students" and "conflict with the differences when participating with outside collaborators." These conflicts were resolved when the teacher created an environment of "latent-crossing," so that the collaborators could access Elementary School K's activities. In addition, the roles of the collaborators were redefined to resolve the first conflict. Moreover, the teacher applied "transitions-between-situations" to better understand and resolve the second conflict, the activity participation outside of the school with the collaborators.