Researcher-practitioner Collaboration Research Articles

Exploring Language Teacher Education through Researcher-Practitioner Co-construction of Differentiated Instruction

Differentiated instruction has been advocated for embracing learner diversity, but it has been found that differentiated instruction implementation is difficult and teachers often feel unprepared. This qualitative case study explored the professional development of two English language teachers in two participating schools of a school-university collaboration project on diversity management in Hong Kong. Based on the data collected from co-planning meetings, lesson observations, semi-structured interviews, focus groups and artefacts, the study showed that research-informed teaching and teaching-informed research were both indispensable to differentiated instruction infrastructure building; school cultures and teacher efficacies both affected teachers’ attitudes towards researcher-practitioner collaboration modes for professional development. Teachers whose efficacy and professional learning community remained at a developing stage tended to rely on an expert-guided collaboration mode. Yet, those whose efficacy and professional learning community had advanced would prefer a more self-redirected learning mode. These findings shed light on bridging the researcher-practitioner divide in teacher education.

Using health evidence to influence healthier urban development: a qualitative evaluation of a researcher–practitioner collaboration

ABSTRACT Despite evidence showing health impacts associated with environmental features such as housing, air quality, transport, and greenspaces, urban development decisions often result in less healthy environments. To address research-practice gaps we explore a collaboration involving an embedded researcher who bridged between urban development practitioners and researchers on a UK local government-led regeneration project. This facilitated development and implementation of a new health economic model that demonstrated the health impacts of changes to the built environment. We shared evidence at multiple timepoints to influence decision-making for a regeneration framework. Evaluation of this approach involved analysis of semi-structured interviews with key practitioners, alongside project meeting notes and embedded researcher field notes. We found that the academic-practitioner partnership, enabled by the embedded researcher, helped academics understand a complex system, and provided contextually relevant evidence for practitioners to highlight problems; support good/aspirational solutions; and consider trade-offs. Academic-practitioner collaborations can help develop and implement impactful interventions to tackle important, and complex, health challenges associated with the built environment. Understanding how evidence may be useful for different purposes can help to implement its use more effectively, and translate it for different audiences.

Researcher-Practitioner Collaboration in Action Design Research

Action Design Research (ADR) is a well-known research method within Design Science Research (DSR). An essential characteristic of the ADR method is the need for researcher-practitioner collaboration (RPC). While there is abundant research on RPC regarding information systems projects in general concerning explanatory and normative knowledge, there is very limited prescriptive knowledge on how to execute RPC in ADR projects. Successful collaboration in ADR projects is imperative since the development of socio-technical IT artefacts requires frequent interaction in organisational contexts. However, RPC can be hard to manage due to competing interests. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to present prescriptive knowledge for how to manage RPC. We have analysed a collaborative ADR project consisting of several researchers and practitioners. Based on a grounded theory approach, we have developed theoretical models based on challenges identified in an ADR project. The models provide prescriptive knowledge regarding: shape the IT artefact based on organisational intervention, exploit the mutual dependency between developing design principles and IT artefacts, and contextualise and generalise learning. Each model involves logical relationships between: conditions for the challenges, actions taken to address the challenges and consequences of the actions taken. The guidelines were deducted from the models and consist of recommendations that could be considered in future ADR projects.

‘English as an additional language’, ‘multilingual’, and ‘vulnerable’: a reflexive account of the labelling practices surrounding school pupils in a researcher-practitioner collaboration

ABSTRACT Despite their diversity, UK school pupils with non-English home languages are uniformly labelled English as an additional language (EAL), presupposing linguistic deficiencies and academic challenges; thus, equating multilingualism with vulnerability. As part of a researcher-practitioner collaboration with a London primary school, we explore how researchers and educators assign and contest the labels EAL, multilingual, and vulnerable. Through this, we reflexively consider whether changing discourses around multilingualism can minimise potential vulnerabilities associated with EAL. We argue that researchers play a crucial role in mitigating a priori categorisation of EAL pupils and expose the impact of our agenda on potentially vulnerable pupils.

A Study on Police Researcher-Practitioner Collaboration in Korea

A Study on Police Researcher-Practitioner Collaboration in Korea

Interventions for challenging behavior of autistic students in general education settings: A systematic literature review

BackgroundAs the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) increases, the number of students with ASD receiving their education in general education settings continues to rise. Yet, teachers are often underprepared to address the behavioral needs of autistic students in inclusive settings, which often leads to negative school outcomes. Currently, no review has systematically examined the characteristics and effects of behavioral interventions specifically for autistic students in general education settings. The purpose of this systematic literature review was to identify and synthesize empirical studies of interventions aimed at reducing the challenging behavior of students with ASD in general education settings. MethodA literature search was conducted across three academic databases, yielding 9561 articles that were screened for eligibility against a set of inclusion criteria. Additionally, an ancestral search of included articles and a pearling search of recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses on similar topics were conducted. Finally, 12 articles were descriptively synthesized. ResultsA lack of participant diversity in relation to disability, age, and race was found across the studies. Majority of the interventions were effective and interventions informed by functional behavioral assessments consistently yielded strong effects. Joint implementation of interventions was the most common form of researcher-practitioner collaboration, with a relative lack of studies involving practitioners in designing interventions. ConclusionsFindings of this review imply a broader issue of restrictive educational placement policies for autistic students who engage in challenging behavior and a critical need to support educators to implement more inclusive educational and behavior management practices.

Benefits and barriers for researcher-practitioner collaboration on marine and coastal management issues

The complex management problems facing marine and coastal systems require diverse, multidisciplinary perspectives to inform more holistic, sustainable management. Collaboration between researchers and practitioners is needed to maximise the utility of research to management and ensure management is informed by the best available scientific advice. However, collaboration across the research-policy interface is notoriously difficult. Here, using results from two online surveys, we explore the benefits and barriers for UK-based researchers and practitioners when collaborating with each other. We found complimentary motivations for collaboration: researchers were most often motivated to collaborate in order to have impact and for their research to be used, while practitioners wanted to gain access to expertise and deliver on evidence needs. For both groups the most common barrier to collaboration was time constraints. For researchers these time constraints were compounded by a lack of recognition for practitioner-focused research activity, while practitioners faced compounding issues around poor delivery or low utility of research outputs. There was also recognition of the differing agendas between the groups and how this can impede collaboration. With the exception of early-career researchers, both groups relied heavily on existing contacts when initiating collaborations and results highlight the importance of ongoing investment by both groups in relationship development, knowledge exchange and networking opportunities. Alongside that, we argue a major perception shift is needed with academia, such that (applied) science in the direct service of society has the same prestige as (blue-sky) science in the service of curiosity.

An interdisciplinary researcher-practitioner partnership: lessons and perspectives from researchers and problem-solving court personnel

ABSTRACT Collaborative partnerships between criminal justice agencies and universities offer several benefits for all involved. This article describes an interdisciplinary researcher-practitioner partnership between the Will County Problem-Solving Courts and the University of St. Francis’s Departments of Criminal & Social Justice and Social Work. Collaborators reflect on the mutually beneficial relationship that produced policy-informed research, new internships, and enriched classroom experiences. The collaboration also encountered challenges such as staff turnover, COVID-19, and access to data. Finally, we encourage others to engage in collaborative efforts and provide recommendations to inform future partnerships on building and sustaining researcher-practitioner collaborations.

COLLABORATING WITH LONG-TERM CARE PROVIDERS IN ELDER MISTREATMENT RESEARCH

Abstract To study elder mistreatment in institutional settings, collaboration is needed with nursing home and assisted living providers. Studies show that common problems emerge in researcher-practitioner collaboration, including differences in the key areas of orientation, training, nature of evidence, time horizons, and uses of research. Barriers specific to collaboration with. LTC providers also present challenges, including reputational risk from participating in EM studies and demands on administrative and staff time that limit availability for research. We report on a successful model for collaboration with LTC providers, based on the implementation and evaluation of the “Improving Resident Relationships in Long-Term Care” program. This evidence-based program was implemented to prevent and treat resident-to-resident aggression in nursing homes (16 facilities) and assisted living (14 facilities), involving over 2000 residents. Findings revealed a set of replicable elements to obtain LTC provider collaboration on sensitive issues like resident-to-resident aggression: (1) Preparatory efforts to gain commitment of administrative personnel; (2) agreements regarding confidentiality and anonymity; (3) identification of one or more “facility champions,” who demonstrate enthusiasm and willingness to advocate for the program; (4) providing payment to participating facilities to cover expenses such as overtime needed to release staff to attend trainings; (5) gaining the support of trusted provider organizations; (6) demonstrating that the program helps meet regulatory requirements; and (7) a procedure to allow for pragmatic modifications to the intervention that allow greater fit with the provider’s workflow. Implications for elder mistreatment intervention research are discussed.

ESPO AND BEHAVIORAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCES SECTION SYMPOSIUM: BRIDGES TO ELDER JUSTICE: BUILDING COLLABORATIONS AND COALITIONS TO CATALYZE ELDER MISTREATMENT RESEARCH

Abstract Elder mistreatment is a widespread public health problem, affecting 1 in 6 older persons every year. Despite its high frequency and severity, relatively little attention has been paid to ensuring that the findings of elder mistreatment research can be implemented in routine care and clinical practice. Forging meaningful partnerships with health care systems may hold promise to facilitate this translational process, and ultimately improve health outcomes for older persons. In this symposium, we will identify proven approaches and mechanisms to successfully build, maintain, and sustain elder mistreatment research-to-practice partnerships with various health care system stakeholders. Dr. Karl Pillemer will describe best approaches in forging researcher-practitioner collaboration with long-term care providers to implement and disseminate evidence-based resident-to-resident aggression intervention program. Dr. Lena Makaroun will examine lessons learned from four high-impact Veterans Health Administration-led collaborations to accelerate applied elder mistreatment research. Dr. Kristen Lees Haggerty will discuss strategies and successes in developing a novel elder mistreatment screening and response tool for emergency departments nationwide in partnership with the National Collaboratory to Address Elder Mistreatment. Finally, Dr. Zach Gassoumis will describe his experiences with conducting intervention and observational research as well as provide advice to early career scholars looking to build partnerships with health care systems. Taken together, these presentations will shed light on the practice, policy, and research implications in strengthening health care system partnerships to closing the discovery-delivery gap.

Teacher Reflexivity for Problematizing Gendered Discourses in ELT in China: What Can Researcher‐Practitioner Collaboration Offer?

AbstractThe topic of gender equality has attracted significant attention in the field of English language teaching and applied linguistics. While there has been much discussion about the representation of gender in the curriculum content and teacher talk, the epistemic cognitive processes underpinning transformative teaching practices have received relatively little attention. This study utilizes the 3R‐EC (reflection, reflexivity, and resolved action for epistemic cognition) framework for teacher reflexivity to explore the epistemic process that guides teachers' pedagogical decision making, beliefs, and practices when they engage in gender education. Using critical ethnography and conversational interviews, the current study shows how epistemic reflexivity as a useful conceptual tool unravels the intricacies of teacher learning and practice in problematizing gendered discourses, and how researcher‐practitioner collaboration (RPC) serves a catalyst for promoting teacher reflexivity. It argues for a holistic approach to teacher reflection and reflective practice in gender education and stresses the importance of transforming teachers into mindful professionals who are critically aware of the gender gap and gender ideologies. Furthermore, it underscores the significance of developing innovative pedagogies for gender inclusivity and diversity in the context of English as a foreign language (EFL).

Cultivating a critical translanguaging space in dual language bilingual education

ABSTRACT An area of ongoing debate among bilingual scholars and practitioners is the extent to which instructional languages should be separated in dual language bilingual education (DLBE). This article contributes to and extends this effort by proposing critical translanguaging space as a conceptual lens to guide the design of translanguaging pedagogies in DLBE programs. This concept is grounded in spatial understandings of languaging and learning and comprised of three interrelated dimensions: (1) dynamic languaging, (2) heteroglossic ideologies, and (3) critical consciousness. After outlining these central tenets, I concretize this approach through a case study of a researcher-practitioner collaboration aimed at fostering a dynamic languaging space in a DLBE classroom that had previously enforced strict language separation. Findings reveal the ways in which this project reflected the aims of a critical translanguaging space, including by affirming students’ dynamic bilingual repertoires and identities, reframing linguistic expertise, fostering practice-based understandings of bilingualism, and creating opportunities for interrogating issues of equity. At the same time, the project fell short of cultivating students’ critical consciousness, as critical inquiry was largely relegated to students’ small group conversations. I conclude with a discussion of findings and implications for future efforts at fostering critical and flexible bilingual learning spaces.

“Doubting with”: An opportunity to renew the debate on researcher–practitioner collaboration

AbstractThis article explores “doubting with” in collaborative management research. Extending methodological reflections on collaboration between researchers and practitioners, this article, drawing on the foundations of the pragmatist inquiry, stresses the central role of doubt and the doubtful situation in overcoming difficulties that are encountered in problem‐oriented approaches. We propose guidelines for “doubting with” in collaborative research, highlighting how it transforms modes of researcher–practitioner collaboration and the opportunities it provides to restore possibilities of action with a broader social dimension. We emphasize how “doubting with” addresses the challenges of collaboration and the key implications for management research regarding the importance of keeping doubt alive in our inquiries and of doubting with practitioners.

The significance of children’s olfactory experiences in a Norwegian kindergarten: an olfactory researcher-practitioner collaboration

ABSTRACT This study is a researcher-practitioner action inquiry which was used to explore children’s sensory experiences with a focus on the sense of smell (olfaction). We critically considered the early childhood theories that positioned children's sensory learning within equitable, socially just early childhood approaches and connected them to an action inquiry approach. The data comprise a systematic documentation of the odours experienced by children in the classroom, an olfactory log of the kindergarten space as well as children’s ‘smellmaps’ from outdoor ‘smellwalks’. We interpret children’s olfactory experiences and reflect on the ways in which the multi-sensory approach to literacy might extend the field’s understanding of the multi-dimensional ways in which educational researchers and practitioners can cultivate their joint inquiries in early childhood education. We present implications for adopting an olfactory researcher-practitioner collaboration in early childhood and conclude that such an approach exemplifies a sensorially sensitive early childhood curriculum.

Marrying Collective Wisdom: Researcher-practitioner Collaboration in Developing ELT Textbooks

Abstract The need for collaboration between researchers and practitioners to address the research-practice gap is a long-debated topic in applied linguistics. Little is known, however, about how researchers and practitioners can collaboratively develop teaching materials, as a potential venue to narrow the gap. This study explored how two groups of professionals in China worked together to develop textbook materials and achieved bi-directional knowledge flow. In addition, the textbooks were analyzed in light of how participants contributed to the co-authored product. Interviews with four researchers and three practitioners along with their written reflections revealed relatively equal and constructive collaborative relationships in which multi-directional knowledge flow, co-creation of new knowledge, and positive emotional interactions emerged. Though subtle, the collaboration was reflected on the nature of the developed textbooks. With a nuanced interpretation of the complexity of researcher-practitioner collaboration, we highlight the emotional dimension of collaboration and the need to pay attention to the person in the collaboration when examining a research-practice relationship.

Researcher-practitioner interaction: Collaboration to advance the field of human-animal interaction

Abstract The study of human-animal interaction has increased in the recent decades, with research frequently accomplished through collaboration between academic researchers and human-animal interaction practitioners. While collaborations vary depending on context and characteristics, it is critical for both parties to appreciate the value of collaborative research and approach the process purposefully. The goal of this manuscript was to discuss strategies that support productive researcher-practitioner collaboration, along with identifying potential obstacles impeding such partnerships. A model for healthy collaboration is provided, which may be used as a template for researchers and practitioners alike when approaching a potential partnership. Important considerations include relationship building, establishing a common understanding, and advancing best practices in the field. Recommendations pertain to the identification of a research collaborator, ethical community-based collaborative research, alignment of key concepts and terminology, detailed reporting of both human and animal characteristics and welfare, and promotion of high standards. Finally, an example of successful collaboration is outlined. For the field of human-animal interaction to progress in its goal of elevating scientific rigor and growing the empirical evidence base, we must likewise elevate and grow our understanding and approach to scientific collaboration.

“Important for you to be there”: Employee activism and the dialectics of researcher–practitioner collaborations

AbstractThe current study examines researcher–practitioner collaborations in the context of employee activism, a context in which the role of reflexivity and theorisation relate in unique ways. Specifically, we examine the collaboration between researchers and a practitioner sustainability manager, in the context of an ongoing organisational sustainability campaign at a French business school. Within the context of an ethnographic, participant observer study, we examine how the roles of “theory” and “practice” are distributed in dynamic ways, and how, across the study, roles are challenged and inverted, oscillating in dialectical moments which we term “praxis encounters”. We contribute to growing debates around academic–practitioner collaborations by showing how the roles of researchers and practitioners evolve dialectically over the course of a project, how employee activism may be studied using collaborative approaches, and how human resource managers may support employee activism. We call for future research about the variety of such dynamics across diverse contexts.

Sexual and Dating Violence Bystander Intervention Programs within Institutions of Higher Education: Strategies for Research and Practice.

This article presents strategies to promote researcher-practitioner collaborations in the development and evaluation of bystander intervention programs that address sexual and dating violence (SDV) at Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs). The benefits of practitioner partnerships with researchers are reviewed. We then review examples of researcher-practitioner collaborations to develop, implement, and evaluate bystander programs. Suggestions are also offered for researcher-practitioner collaborators to engage survivors of SDV and overlooked populations, such as racial, ethnic, gender, and sexual minorities, as ways to promote diversity. Lastly, we provide guidelines for researcher-practitioner collaborations to engage bystanders based on the lessons learned from these collaborations within and around the IHE community.

Bridging the Researcher–Practitioner Divide Through Community‐Engaged Action Research: A Collaborative Autoethnographic Exploration

AbstractConsistent with recent calls to bridge the research–practice divide in second language acquisition, this article reports on the findings of a collaborative autoethnographic study that we, authors of this article, conducted as critical second language teacher educators. Conducting a series of constructive dialogues among ourselves for a semester, we focused on how our acts of reciprocal reflexivity were characterized by discussions and subsequent actions with our teacher partners located in different parts of the world and working in diverse contexts. Our data, which included reflective journal entries, phenomenological interviews, artefacts, and audio‐recorded group conversations, illustrate how we fostered constructive researcher–practitioner collaborations. These collaborations were mediated within and outside our classroom settings, as we sought to ultimately improve our own pedagogical practices. In contrast to working from an ivory tower and in keeping with our commitment to promoting equitable educational and research practices, our article also demonstrates and problematizes how we conducted our research in an ethical manner when designing, carrying out, and subsequently disseminating our findings to multiple audiences.

Can reading practitioners and researchers improve intensive reading support systems in a large urban school system?

One way to provide intensive intervention for students with severe and persistent reading difficulties is to use a systematic data‐based decision‐making process called data‐based individualisation (DBI). DBI is a process for identifying needs and aligning them with specialist support. Meta‐analyses of DBI studies by university‐based researchers have shown positive effects, but university research studies do not involve many of the implementation science‐related factors that affect success. This study addresses the dearth of data from practice‐based studies that incorporate DBI and was done as a researcher–practitioner collaboration, developed with based on the theory that the collaborators' combined knowledge and skills could produce positive outcomes. Mixed methods were used to examine whether there was evidence of success in implementation DBI conducted through a researcher–practitioner partnership in New York City Public Schools, the largest public school system in the United States. Specifically, data were collected concerning the quality of DBI implementation and changes in teachers' and administrators' perspectives about the value of implementing intensive intervention. Results indicated that district‐level implementation met many criteria for effective DBI, that school teams (N = 6) implemented DBI with an overall high level of fidelity (mean score of 4.1 on a 5‐point scale) and that teachers and school administrators changed their thinking about intensive intervention as a result of participation in DBI. Stakeholder interview data indicated a high level of social acceptability for DBI implementation. Features of the research–practice partnership thought to have contributed to the success of the project are discussed.