The school was seen by staff as a “hub” in which there was an obligation to develop their expertise and share their expertise beyond the school. Within a short span of 3 years, the school had developed a reputation for inquirybased learning in science, modeled its activities on the best examples available, and disseminated professional development and resources throughout the state. Particularly noticeable was the extent to which teachers engaged in professional dialogue. Conversations with these teachers revealed sound understandings of contemporary approaches to teaching science and learning, as well as disciplinary knowledge.
The principles of effective partnerships are evident in this case. First, the principle of subsidiarity underpinned the success of this school. Although the initiative was mandated at the state level the mobilization of the partnership was situated at the local level. The key players included the principal and inter- ested academics and community members who negotiated the scope of the project, were engaged in intensive consultations and eventually focussed their attention onto the implementation of science teaching as a STEM initiative.