Are Research-Practice Partnerships Responsive to Partners' Needs? Exploring Research Activities During the COVID-19...

Area of Science:

• Education Research
• Applied Research
• Policy Studies

Background:

• Research-practice partnerships (RPPs) aim to bridge the gap between research and educational practice.
• The COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented challenges for education leaders, increasing the need for timely, relevant research.
• Previous RPP work may not have consistently met the immediate needs of practice partners.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the responsiveness of RPPs to practice partners during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To identify changes in RPP project types and outputs in response to pandemic-related demands.
• To assess the capacity of RPPs to provide timely support for decision-making in education.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of annual reports from the National Network of Education Research-Practice Partnerships (NNERPP) from 2019 to 2021.
• Quantitative and qualitative examination of project types, research syntheses, and turnaround times.
• Focus on changes in RPP activities directly related to partner needs during the pandemic.

Main Results:

• An increase in design-based research projects was observed.
• A notable rise in quick-turnaround research syntheses to address immediate partner needs.
• Evidence suggests RPPs shifted towards more responsive modes of research production.

Conclusions:

• RPPs demonstrated increased adaptability and responsiveness during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The shift towards design-based projects and rapid syntheses indicates a growing alignment with practice demands.
• Future RPP efforts should continue to prioritize agile and responsive research methodologies.