Analyzing a teacher and researcher co-design partnership through the lens of communities of practice

Abstract

Research-Practice Partnerships (RPP) bridge the gap between schools and universities. However, few have embraced the co-design process through a communities of practice lens and investigated how knowledge is co-constructed and negotiated. This mixed-method study explored how elementary school teachers co-construct knowledge with researchers to understand better how a community of practice can be cultivated during a co-design RPP. Findings from a survey, journal entries, observational field notes, and focus groups suggest teachers co-constructed knowledge while acknowledging and mitigating conflicts. Based on these findings, we offer ways to seed and cultivate communities of practice among teachers and researchers for co-designing educational innovations.