Some Assembly Required: Customizing CFIR for Educational Research

• In Event: Unforgetting Methods: Reimagining Policy Analysis for Complex Educational Futures

Abstract

This paper reimagines the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR 2.0), widely used in health sciences, for use in education to examine how past and present systems shape implementation. Drawing on a yearlong professional learning community focused on emergent literacy in U.S. preschool settings, we explore how CFIR can surface structural conditions while supporting contextually grounded study design and interpretation. A mixed-methods evaluation by the REL Southeast highlights key adaptations to the framework, specifically in relation to time, local context, and participant roles, to better account for the realities of educational systems. Our evolving engagement with CFIR illustrates the importance of researcher reflexivity when applying complex frameworks to dynamic educational settings.

Authors

• Stephanie L. Brown, Florida State University

• Dinara Ibrayeva, Florida State University

• Zahra Gholami, Florida State University

• Leah Register, Florida State University

• Latara 0. Lampkin, Florida State University

• Alexandria Thomas, Florida State University