Identifying and Measuring Potential Outcomes of Collaborative Research

• In Event: 32.072 - Research-Practice Partnerships: Lessons Learned by Two Regional Educational Laboratories

Abstract

Objectives
This discussion describes the challenges and lessons learned in measuring outcomes of researcher-practitioner partnerships within such complex contexts using examples from REL-NEI’s eight research alliances.

Theoretical Framework
There is need for more empirical research addressing the outcomes of researcher-practitioner collaboration (Coburn & Penuel, 2016). Proponents of emerging models of collaborative research argue that involving practitioners in the research process has multiple outcomes. First, including practitioners on a research team can bridge the gap between research and practice, ideally resulting in a framing of research problems and questions that involves two-way communication and shared agreement (Nutley, Walter, & Davies, 2007) as well as a greater likelihood that research findings will be applied to practice (Coburn & Stein, 2010; Roderick et al., 2009). Second, by contributing to the research process from the beginning, practitioners develop an investment in and ownership of the work (Coburn, Penuel, & Geil, 2013; Dearing & Kreuter, 2010). Third, collaborative research can facilitate a greater sense of mutual trust between researchers and practitioners (Dearing & Kreuter, 2010). Fourth, practitioner involvement in research has been suggested as a way to build the capacity of practitioner communities to participate in research and to incorporate research evidence into regular decision-making processes (Bryk et al., 2010; Roderick et al., 2009). Defining and measuring such outcomes is complex, however, because each partnership represents not only different levels of individual and organizational capacity in the use of data and research, but also different interests and demands.

Methods and Evidence
Early in the creation of the research alliances, REL-NEI considered how to measure potential outcomes of researcher-practitioner collaboration facilitated through the alliances. The first step in this process was developing a survey to measure alliance members’ perspectives related to several hypothesized outcomes of collaborative research. Outcome constructs developed for the survey reflect outcomes, described previously, have been frequently hypothesized in recent literature on collaborative educational research, including a sense of ownership over the alliance, researcher-practitioner trust, use of data and evidence, and capacity for data collection and inquiry. For each outcome construct, items were drawn from validated surveys whenever possible and revised as necessary to fit the context of REL-NEI alliances and the region, with the intent that the survey and its constituting items could be adapted to other types of partnerships/alliances.

Conclusions
Some of the lessons to be highlighted in this presentation include the following: (1) Adapt existing constructs and measurement tools to measure outcomes unique to your partnership; (2) Consider the context and membership of the partnership when interpreting results; and (3) Ensure anonymity of all data collection efforts to avoid ceiling effects, social desirability response bias, and nonresponse bias.

Scholarly Significance
The presentation provides researchers with valuable insights about evaluating the outcomes of researcher-practitioner collaborations. The presentation will provide a framework for choosing effective outcome measures and collecting accurate data, which could be applied to research-practice partnerships outside of the REL educational context.

Authors

• Sarah M. Ryan, Education Development Center, Inc.

• Julie Riordan, Education Development Center, Inc.

• Maria-Paz Avery, Education Development Center, Inc.