Farrell, Caitlin C., and Cynthia E. Coburn, Absorptive Capacity: A Conceptual Framework for Understanding District Central Office Learning, Journal of Educational Change, 18(2, 2017), 135-159.

Posits a conceptualization of absorptive capacity for central office staff learning in relation to external partners; includes prior knowledge, pathways, leadership, and resources

“What the Hell Is This, and Who the Hell Are You?” Role and Identity Negotiation in Research-Practice Partnerships

In research-practice partnerships (RPPs), the line between researcher and practitioner can be blurred, and the roles for everyone involved may be unclear. Yet little is known about how these roles are negotiated and with what consequences for collaborative efforts. Guided by organizational theory, we share findings from a multiyear case study of one RPP, drawing on observations of partnership leadership meetings and interviews with school district leaders and partners. Role negotiation occurred in more than one third of leadership meetings, as evidenced by identity-referencing discourse. When roles were unclear, collaborative efforts stalled; once partners renegotiated their roles, it changed how they engaged in the work together. Several forces contributed to these dynamics, including the partner’s ambitious yet ambiguous identity and the introduction of new members to the group. This study offers implications for those engaged in partnership work and provides a foundation for future research regarding role negotiation in RPPs

Coburn, Cynthia E., William R. Penuel, and Caitlin C. Farrell, Fostering Educational Improvement with Research-Practice Partnerships, Phi Delta Kappan, 102(April, 2021), 14-19.

Points out examples of several research-practice partnerships and the various types of collaborative work they are doing; traces the development of these types of research-practice partnerships