Cross-Sector Learning and Organizational Negotiation in an Early Childhood/Ed-Tech Design Research Practice Partnership

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 3:45 pm - Gold 3
  In Roundtable Session: From Collaboration to Transformation: Evolving Research-Practice Partnerships in Education

Abstract

This study examines a cross-sector design research-practice partnership (RPP) involving an education technology company, a national early childhood education provider, and a research organization collaborating to develop and evaluate an online computational thinking curriculum for preschoolers. Using a qualitative case study approach, we analyze 17 interviews with organizational leaders over three years to explore how differing organizational cultures, norms, and incentive systems shape RPP processes and outcomes. Findings reveal that, despite shared goals, partners encountered tensions related to project prioritization, authority, and validation, rooted in their distinct organizational cultures. The study highlights how partners negotiated these challenges and adapted their collaboration, offering new insights into the dynamics of cross-sector design RPPs and informing the design of more effective educational partnerships.

Authors

• Susan Bush-Mecenas, RAND Corporation

• Alice Huguet, RAND Corporation

• Sarah Zelazny, RAND Corporation