“That Would Be Confusing for Fifth Graders”: Boundary Infrastructure Moves in a Research-Practice Partnerships

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Friday 7:45 am
  In Poster Session: Learning Sciences Poster Session

Abstract

Research Practice Partnerships (RPPs) are a key strategy for educational improvement, yet little is known about the interactional mechanisms that drive their success. This study analyzes a three-year RPP co-designing integrated math and computer science lessons. We identify "boundary infrastructure moves”, actions partners use to navigate differences. Our findings reveal that productive tension, often sparked by a "potential overstep," was highly generative. A case study shows how a teacher challenging a lesson's terminology initiated a negotiation that transformed the artifact and created a new, shared vocabulary tool. We argue that productive tension is an essential mechanism for growth in RPPs and that boundary infrastructure moves offer a new framework for analyzing how interactions foster organizational learning.

Authors

• Jody E. Clarke-Midura, Utah State University

• Alireza Zandi, Utah State University

• Saríah López-Fierro, Utah State University

• Mimi M. Recker, Utah State University