(Re)imagining Research-Practice Collaboration and Partnership: Constructivism by Way of Interdisciplinarity, Multimodality, and Humanity

Authors

• Bethany Silva, University of New HampshireFollow
• Alecia Magnifico, University of New HampshireFollow
• Laura Allen, University of MinnesotaFollow
• David Baroody, Derryfield SchoolFollow
• Ashley Barry, Bentley UniversityFollow
• Shawna Coppola, The Educator CollaborativeFollow
• Cathy Fraser, Cathage Elementary SchoolFollow
• Emily Geltz, Oyster River Middle SchoolFollow
• Anne McQuade, Henry J. McLaughlin Middle SchoolFollow
• Christina M. Ortmeier-Hooper, University of New Hampshire - Main CampusFollow
• Laura Smith, University of New Hampshire, DurhamFollow
• Donna Turco, New Franklin SchoolFollow

Author Biography

Bethany Silva is a Research Assistant Professor and Director of the Community Literacy Center at the University of New Hampshire.

Abstract

Research-Practice Partnerships (RPPs) have become an important vehicle for educational research. By connecting researchers and educators, RPPs can couple systematic research and practical application. However, relational practices for building research collaboratives are understudied, and RPPs often reinscribe power imbalances among practitioners and researchers. With its focus on the centrality of practitioners and their knowledge, practitioner research offers possibilities for disrupting such power imbalances. In this reflective essay, our team describes our efforts to harness practitioner research’s capacity to identify and address salient school-level issues and RPPs’ power to impact a wider audience. We identify practices to build relationships, inform research processes, and encourage full participation across a research team. We conclude with specific practices that support these ideas.

Recommended Citation

Silva, Bethany; Magnifico, Alecia; Allen, Laura; Baroody, David; Barry, Ashley; Coppola, Shawna; Fraser, Cathy; Geltz, Emily; McQuade, Anne; Ortmeier-Hooper, Christina M.; Smith, Laura; and Turco, Donna (2026) "(Re)imagining Research-Practice Collaboration and Partnership: Constructivism by Way of Interdisciplinarity, Multimodality, and Humanity," Journal of Practitioner Research: Vol. 11 : Iss. 1 , Article 4.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/jpr/vol11/iss1/4