Conceptualizing the Facilitator's Role to Center and Ensure Equity Within Research-Practice Partnerships

• In Event: Examining Facilitation in Research-Practice Partnerships

Abstract

Objectives: Research-practice-partnerships (RPPs) represent a promising model to address inequities, disrupt power dynamics, and democratize research processes and results (Doucet, 2019). However, capitalizing on this potential and productively advancing equity through partnership work remains to be a topic of discussion and investigation (Bang & Vossoughi, 2016). This paper contributes to this scholarship by arguing that facilitation processes within RPPs are critical to ensure equitable partnerships and impacts.

Theoretical Framework: Researchers have developed innovative theories and methods to understand how RPPs can extend equity (Gutiérrez & Jurow, 2016). Others have critically analyzed relational dynamics and refined measurements to assess a project’s success in promoting equity (Denner et al., 2019; Henrick et al., 2017). Connecting these efforts, RPP facilitators hold responsibility for the design and implementation of collaborative goals and desired outcomes built with and for communities. It is critically important to understand how facilitation techniques either disrupt or promote inequitable RPPs. For this conceptualization, I utilize equity frameworks to understand RPP outcomes resulting from facilitation practices that do not center equity and/or value it without creating structures to allow it to emerge and be sustained (NEA, 2021).

Methods and Data Sources: Drawing on two separate projects, I offer a case-study analysis of how lack of prioritizing equity within facilitation diminished the potential for transformative change. The first case was a partnership between researchers and a non-profit organization to understand and increase literacy supports for refugee families and their young children. The second case was a partnership between researchers and teachers that focused on creating and implementing equitable science curriculum in a high school that primarily served marginalized students. Utilizing field notes, iterative memoing, and critical reflection, I examined how facilitation processes that do not explicitly center equity functioned to block the ways it emerged throughout the partnership.

Findings: Findings revealed that facilitation techniques must center equity from the inception of an RPP project to recognize and address communities’ needs. For example, facilitation practices that did not equitably include community voices within the project design did not leave room to address needs outside of literacy (first case) and curriculum matters (second case). Consequently, this impacted outcomes (e.g. refugee families later identified external educational barriers, but no actions were taken from researchers or non-profit partners as their focus was on literacy). Additionally, if facilitators did not prioritize equity throughout implementation, equitable outcomes were not ensured. In both projects, facilitation techniques and discussions concentrated on research processes that clouded checks and balances for ensuring the production of desired outcomes. For example, in the second case, students were still not understanding the content as measured by assessment data. However, this was treated as another data source and efforts to improve student learning outcomes were nonexistent. Lastly, equity between facilitators and team members is crucial to reflect on practices and remain accountable.

Scholarly Significance: This work contributes to the conceptualization of facilitators’ role and how equity is a critical component. To uphold commitments to equity, it must be present throughout inception, relationships, implementation, and outcomes.

Author

• Dana Marie Conlin, University of California - Irvine