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It is important to support partnerships between general education schools and universities, as they bring together the knowledge and experience of teachers, researchers and other education professionals. “Good collaboration can lead to professional development for teachers, more meaningful application of research findings in daily work, and a better learning experience for students,” says Edna Milena Sarmiento Marquez, PhD in Educational Sciences. A good partnership can also lead to innovation in education.

Despite their great potential, many partnerships struggle to maintain sustainable collaboration in the long term. It is also difficult to assess progress or determine whether their activities are having the desired impact.

A solution to the problem

Edna Milena Sarmiento Marquez developed the SUP.ME (School–University Partnerships) framework to solve this problem. It is a practical tool that helps schools and universities working in partnership to monitor and evaluate their collaboration throughout its entire lifecycle. As the partnership develops, monitoring and evaluation take place as a collaborative learning process carried out by the partnership members themselves.

The results of the study show that successful collaboration is not determined solely by whether goals are achieved. Equally important are mutual trust between partners, communication, and the ability to learn together and adapt to change.

Partnership as a process of learning from each other

“Without monitoring and evaluation, managing a school–university partnership is like embarking on a long mountain hike without a map, a compass or trail markers,” says the researcher. “Progress may be possible, but it is far more difficult to determine whether we are moving in the right direction, how far we have come, or how to respond to obstacles that arise along the way.”

The SUP.ME framework was developed to simplify navigation in order to support shared reflection and informed decision-making throughout the journey. According to the framework, understanding and developing partnerships is a collaborative learning process that draws on the experiences and knowledge of the people involved.

The study helps schools and universities build more sustainable partnerships that support the development of teaching and learning and help both parties make more informed decisions throughout the collaboration.

 

Thesis defence

defended her doctoral thesis at Tallinn University’s School of Educational Sciences on 11 June 2026. Her doctoral thesis is entitled SUPporting Stakeholders in Monitoring and Evaluating School–University Partnerships that Promote Teaching and Learning Practices.

The supervisors of the thesis are , a researcher at the University of Valladolid, and , a professor at Tallinn University.
The opponents are , a professor at the University of Regensburg, and , a lecturer at the University of Lleida.

The doctoral thesis can be read in the digital environment of the Tallinn University Academic Library.