Transcending boundaries and borders: Constructing living theory through multidimensional inquiry

The purpose of this collaborative action research inquiry, by a team of university professors and doctoral students, was to assist us as we tried to transform and transcend to new levels of understanding regarding the overlapping relationships of teaching and learning through the methodologies of collaborative self-study and action research (Loughran, 2007). This paper describes the evolution of our journeys to understand how we influenced each other’s learning and by extension the learning of others in our respective spheres. The research stories included are described through the theoretical lenses of living theory, pedagogy of care, and I-Thou relationships. In this self-study we offer explanations for how and why we acted in the context of our self-study. Data sources included journals, video and audio tapes of self-study group meetings, notes, email correspondence, and a variety of narratives and visuals.  In order to justify our claim to knowledge, we produced evidence to show the extent of our influence on each other in a reciprocal way.  By sharing these evidences we hoped to show “critical standards of judgment” (McNiff, 2005) by which others could evaluate our knowledge claim and the significance of our collaborative work.