Negotiating Research-Practice Partnerships

• In Event: Can University-District Partnerships Promote Educational Equity?

Abstract

Objectives

When research and practice leaders participate partnerships, they will have to learn how best to work together. The leaders will need to execute specific leadership moves to operationalize these research practice partnerships. In this proposal, I outline a set of leadership moves to be utilized by researchers and practitioners during negotiations of research-practice partnerships. Based on the forms of research practice partnerships suggested by Coburn, Penuel, and Giel (2013), some combination of these leadership moves play a role in making these research practice partnerships an endeavor that allows researchers and practitioners to participate in improvements in education.

Conceptual Framework

In addition to Coburn, et al.’s (2013) study of research practice partnerships, the frameworks influencing this study stem from research on organizational behavior like Heifetz, Grashow, and Linsky’s (2009) concept of “adaptive leadership” involving 1) observing, 2) interpreting, and executing 3) interventions and Fisher, Ury, and Patton’s (1991) concept of “wise negotiations” which includes taking community interests into account and resolving conflicting interests fairly. I also emphasize Adler, Goldoftas, and Levine’s (1997) case study of Toyota’s NUMMI plant’s use of continuous improvement techniques to solve problems within manufacturing.

To build relationships between researchers and practitioners there needs to be trust between both parties. Coburn, et al. (2013) describes the challenge of developing trust within research practice partnerships, but what exactly cultivates this trust? If trust is the belief in the ability and/or truth of another person, then the traditional role of academics and administrators potentially needs to be shifted (McLaughlin and London, 2013; Bryk, Gomez, Grunow, and LeMahieu, 2015).

Methods

The methodological framework for this study adopts an observer/participant model as I facilitate the relationships necessary for partnering between two organizations in the research practice partnership being studied (Honig, 2004). I used grounded theory as my approach for data collection and analysis. I focused on theory development as data collection and analysis proceeded simultaneously (Charmaz, 1983; Taylor and Bogdan, 1998). I used what Merriam (2002) refers to as an inductive approach for the analyses. I built hypotheses, analyzed notes from observations and documents, and took the highest frequency themes to posit a framework.

Findings

The findings from this study posit a framework of leadership moves for negotiating research practice partnerships. The framework is articulated through a set of moves that leaders would utilize when navigating these partnerships: 1) building relationships, 2) ensuring motivation, 3) fostering ownership, and 4) utilizing research. For the purposes of this proposal, I do not have room to explain my findings in full, but look forward to doing so in the full paper.

Significance

As research practice partnerships continue to flourish in education, researchers and practitioners will need a better understanding of how to best work together. This study describes specific moves researchers and practitioners can execute when participating in a partnership that will support the relationships, trust, and dispositions needed to make the joint work successful in shaping improvements in education.
 

Author

• Laura P. Wentworth, California Education Partners