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

ABSTRACT

Despite everyone's best intentions, RPP-produced research may still fall short of being responsive to the needs of practice partners. The COVID-19 pandemic arguably magnified the demand for research to help education leaders make informed decisions in unprecedented ways. Were RPPs able to be responsive to practice-side partners in their time of need? We draw upon data collected as part of the 2019, 2020, and 2021 National Network of Education Research-Practice Partnerships' (NNERPP) annual reports to explore this question. Our findings suggest an increase in design-based projects, in addition to increases in quick-turnaround research syntheses in order to accommodate partner needs. © The Author(s) 2022.