This extended abstract describes a project which develops STEM education, and a social justice and equal opportunity agenda, in which the school's egalitarianmission is seen as an imperative to support every child regardless of background. The K-ULF project (compensatory teaching and learning through practice-lead research[1]) takes an exploratory approach in developing and evaluating models for participatory practice-lead research. The initiative is a joint venture between academia and the Swedish school system. Traditionally teachers have seen more as the objects of study, rather than active agents in the creation of research questions, design or even results. The growing interest in evidence informed practice is gaining ground internationally, however the results of earlier studies may not always be relevant or when relevant not embedded in the learning and school culture in which they are used. The need for arenas where academia and practice collaborate, co-create, and learn from each other is desperately needed. Our aim is to develop models for participatory collaborative research where both researchers and teachers contribute, share, and create knowledge together. This approach has huge potential in terms of strengthening the research base for educational practices in schools and integrating the teaching profession and its development through collaboration with research and teacher education. K-ULF contributes to making research more relevant for educational practice in STEM education. The conference presentation presents the K-ULF model and its agile structure, inviting the audience torecontextualise our research into their own setting.

 [1] This is a loose translation from the Swedish name of the project.