Initial plans for this project arose from a need to address issues of professional development of science and technology teachers that went beyond the norm available within school board settings. Two teams of 4 teachers responded to an invitation to participate in a collaborative action research project. Collaborative action research was chosen in order to address issues of inadequate teacher interaction around pedagogical structures and processes, insufficient opportunities to access and add to the professional knowledge base and a perceived lack of teacher control of the teaching environment enabling them to make decisions that they consider appropriate for their local classrooms, schools and students. Early in the project, it became apparent that the collaborative nature of the action research engaged in by the participating teachers needed to be modified. The modified collaboration, termed purposeful action research, allowed the teachers to grow in a number of dimensions of action research. The article concludes with a number of recommendations for those hoping to employ a similar methodology.