Finding the heart of a Research-Practice Partnership: Politicized trust, mutualism, and use of research

Abstract

The assumption that research is out-of-reach, irrelevant, or unusable for practitioners has been a theme echoed throughout academia. Research alliances such as Research-Practice Partnerships (RPP) attempt to alleviate this problem by having researchers, practitioners, and/or community-based organizations form a collaborative partnership that uses research to solve tangible problems of practice. Previous works have highlighted the complexities inherent with forming and maintaining these long-term partnerships including politics, trust building, time, and available resources. In this paper, we engage in reflective analysis of our own RPP around three key elements we believe are at the heart of RPPs: politicized trust, mutualism, and use of research. This paper illustrates successes and points of failure in each of these areas, which have been previously unconnected in RPP literature. We conclude with recommendations for school and university partners and future research on RPPs.

Research-Practice Partnerships in Pursuit of Racial Justice in Schools: Navigating a Hostile Sociopolitical Climate

“…The purpose of the audit is two-fold: (1) it democratizes data and findings for targeted improvement and (2) empowers school staff to develop their own racial equity plans in response to what they find. Engaging in this process requires that school partners trust our teams to manage their data with both discretion and transparency, and share it with the school community in the process of making meaning together (Doucet, 2019; Lezotte et al, 2022). Thus, we typically begin this stage of the work 1 to 2 months after establishing the partnership, allowing ample time and space to develop relationships with school partners and address internal resistance or tensions that inevitably emerge even among the most committed educators.…”

“…We also work with key stakeholders to decide how best to share the results of the audit with the community (Lezotte et al, 2022). Regardless of format and how much is shared, program staff help support members in receiving information that can be challenging to hear, reminding our partners early and often that racial justice work is embodied, emotional work that may produce feelings of discomfort, guilt, or surprise (Menakem, 2017).…”