Research-practice partnership model for improving problems of educational practice¶

Theory · All theories
Evidence · 4 claims (4 for) · 5 studies (4 design, 1 review), q1–q2 · 0 of 5 report an effect size · 3 claims rest on one study

Description¶

The report presents the research-practice partnership (RPP) as a collaboration model in which researchers and practitioners form trust-based relationships to address problems of practice. It cites the W.T. Grant Foundation definition of RPPs as "long-term, mutually beneficial collaborations that promote the production and use of rigorous research about problems of practice." The model rests on the premise that researchers and practitioners have much to learn from each other through repeated cycles of examining evidence, trying new approaches, and analyzing data. The report used this model to structure a 15-month equity and digital learning collaboration with five colleges.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Long-term collaboration with formal agreements setting out institutional responsibilities and data sharing

Constraints¶

• Deep changes in teaching practices and educational systems take time, and required capacity building may vary for different partnership members

Target Learners¶

• Higher education instructors redesigning gateway courses

Target Learning Objectives¶

• Improving course success rates for racially minoritized and poverty-impacted students

Claims¶

• Relational trust and rapid-response adaptation help research-practice partnerships survive acute disruption [+W]
• Data dives with disaggregated course success data surfaced equity gaps previously invisible to faculty [+W]
• RPP workshops on concrete equity mechanisms influenced instructor practice within one term [+W]
• Launching RPP work with disaggregated student data highlighted equity issues without assigning blame [+W]

Related Theories¶

• Research Practice Partnerships (RPPs) as long-term partnerships focused on problems of practice
• Research-practice partnership model treating research as public, relational, and adaptive infrastructure
• Participatory design as a discrete approach to engaging practitioners in research design

Examples¶

• Course Theory of Change template for RPP course redesign teams
• Monthly check-ins and co-led collaborative learning events across partner institutions
• Move from extractive research toward research-practice partnerships, practitioner-facing outputs, and transparent privacy documentation
• Responsive RPP Adaptation During Disruption
• Future RPP work should investigate which problems of practice suit the RPP framework, gather honest practitioner input, and consider the role of the whole RPP team

Key Sources¶

• Wiley, K., Neisler, J., & Means, B. (2023, February). Partnering to promote equity and digital learning. Digital Promise. https://doi.org/10.51388/20.500.12265/167