Theories and Research Methodologies for Design-Based Implementation Research: Examples from Four Cases

Abstract

This chapter reviews four projects that reflect the principles of design-based implementation research (DBIR) in an effort to highlight a range of relevant theoretical and methodological perspectives and tools that can inform future work associated with DBIR.

Data management and use through research practice partnerships: A literature review

“…The Youth Data Archive (YDA) project managed by the John W. Gardner Center, for example, "combines administrative records matched at the individual student level from a variety of public and nonprofit institutions to enable local policy makers to look across institutional boundaries" (McLaughlin & London, 2013, p. 198). Linking the variety of databases with data regarding youth allowed researchers to prepare initial data reports to share with stakeholders to generate research questions or identify the problems of practice for further examination (Biag, 2017;McLaughlin & London, 2013;Russell et al, 2013). Similarly, other research alliances such as the research alliance for New York City Schools (Coburn, Penuel, & Geil, 2013c), Baltimore Education Research Consortium (BERC), Shared Solution, the Stanford University and San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) partnership, and the various Regional Education Laboratory research alliances also have data agreements with various stakeholders and use databases to archive and link data to explore and identify focused problems of practice (Bryant et al, 2016;Scher et al, 2018;Scholz, Ehrlich, & Roth, 2017;Wolford, Desimone, Hill, Reitano, & Kowalski, 2016).…”

“…The data exploration stage for all RPPs was a process wherein local culture, historical context, practical considerations, and ideal alternatives as solutions -including issues of timing and space -were taken into consideration. In RPPs that involved data archives (e.g., McLaughlin & London, 2013;Russell et al, 2013), stakeholders explored the local context to focus on problems of practice through initial data exploration and discussion with community stakeholders. It is worth noting that several articles included in this review specifically referred to the use of sociocultural theories such as CHAT as researchers and practitioners integrate the cultural and historical contexts in RPP design (Gutiérrez & Jurow, 2016;Ishimaru & Takahashi, 2014;Penuel, 2014;Severance, Penuel, Sumner, & Leary, 2016).…”

“…First, to explore the contexts based on data, RPP stakeholders may consider using existing largescale databases (e.g., Biag, 2017;McLaughlin & London, 2013;Russell et al, 2013), combined with context-specific explorations of existing local partnerships (e.g., Pollock, 2013;Rigby et al, 2018) or cross-site exploration building upon existing NICs (e.g., Cobb et al, 2013;Penuel et al, 2015;Rosenquist et al, 2015). The key to the success of RPPs lies in the contextualization of research problem identification, intervention design, and research implementation.…”

Supporting Use of Data and Evidence from Early Warning Indicator Systems in Research–Practice Partnerships

“…Adopting a learning perspective also entails foregrounding the goal of building long-term organizational capacity, rather than short-term implementation of specific policies and programs (Russell et al, 2013). When external partners support leaders in reflecting on, planning for, and leading learning opportunities for adults and groups across the school system, partnerships can facilitate both the circulation and implementation of ideas about effective instruction (Cobb et al, 2018).…”

Design-Based Implementation Research(DBIR): An Approach to Propagate a Transformed General Chemistry Curriculum across Multiple Institutions

“…This partnership assures the instructors’ participation increases as well as the likelihood that the innovation would be useable in various environments . DBIR has proceeded from Design-Based Research (the iterative process of design, implementation, analysis, and refinement of design based on data), which has been implemented to develop teaching practices and curricula. − Both DBIR and DBR focus on the cyclical nature of design and testing; however, DBR focuses on usable tools, while DBIR focuses on the adoption of these tools. , While still fairly new in the literature, research using DBIR has been more prevalent at the K–12 level. ,− For example, Anderson and colleagues used DBIR to inform large-scale middle school curricular innovations across a wide range of educational systems to implement their Carbon Time curriculum . DBIR was also used for STEMGenetics in order to assist teachers in the instruction of genetics to elementary and middle school students .…”