Anne Lowe Universite de Moncton Researcher ' s Challenge in a Collaborative Approach to Research Mediation Effort Between University and Public School Cultures

Based on examples taken from a collaborative research study investigating contextual elements that contribute to a positive learning/teaching experience for all participants as a result of the incorporation of music and other art forms into the language arts curriculum, this paper describes mediation situations faced by the researcher in an effort to take under consideration the needs of the research community (university scholars) and the expectations of the public school community (classroom teachers). Mediation challenges are discussed at all levels of the research process: the co-situational stage, where the purpose of the study is defined, the co-operational stage, where data is collected and the co-productional stage, where results are analysed and diffused. Professional knowledge is redefined based on the collaborative merging of research and practice.