25 European Education, vol. 45, no. 1 (Spring 2013), pp. 25–49. © 2013 M.E. Sharpe, Inc. All rights reserved. Permissions: www.copyright.com ISSN 1056–4934 (print)/ISSN 1944–7086 (online) DOI: 10.2753/EUE1056-4934450102 BENJAMIN KUTSYURUBA Teacher Collaboration in Times of Uncertainty and Societal Change The Case Study of Post-Soviet Ukraine The work of teachers is subject to changing not only policies and reforms but also the complexities and contradictions of societal transformations. This paper examines teachers’ perceptions of the impact of post-Soviet transformations on teacher collaboration amid the changing education policies and reforms in Ukraine. Drawing on qualitative methods such as document analysis, focus groups, and individual interviews, this case study reveals that the nature, content, and format of collaboration among teachers in schools are susceptible to transformations at the macro (so- cietal) as well as micro (school) levels. The study points to the ongoing struggle between the forces of modernity and postmodernity and high- lights dilemmas and paradoxes that characterize educational reforms in post-Soviet Ukraine. The downfall of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the subsequent political, economic, and social transformations made a critical impact on Ukraine’s education system. Situated amid a transition from totalitarian Marxist- Leninist ideology to democracy and pluralism, education was one of the Benjamin Kutsyuruba, Ph.D., is assistant professor in educational policy and leader- ship, and associate director of the Social Program Evaluation Group (SPEG) in the Faculty of Education, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. His research areas include educational policymaking; leadership; mentorship; trust and moral agency; international education; school safety/climate; and educational change. Address for correspondence: ben.kutsyuruba@queensu.ca.