ABSTRACT This article investigates how schoolteachers working both in schools and as educators on campus, referred to as hybrid educators, engage with ‘research’ in the context of research-based teacher education. The concept of institutional practices is applied to unpack the complex intersection between established institutional demands in higher education-based teacher education and the creative work conducted by hybrid educators as they try to engage with these demands. Drawing on observations and interviews, the analyses identify ‘research’ as a vague and taken for granted expectation that hybrid educators are given few directions in approaching, and highlight ownership—or the lack of it—and relevance to professional practice as prominent aspects informing their engagement with research. The study provides important knowledge for policymakers and teacher education regarding how to better facilitate hybrid educators’ inclusion into research-based practices on campus.