Proposing a Framework for Achieving the Ideal Collaboration between Practitioners and Researchers

Addressing contemporary educational challenges urgently requires establishing equitable and mutually beneficial relationships between researchers and practitioners in an organized manner. This presentation proposes a framework designed to foster such relationships. The core of this proposal is to create a community that integrates research with practice. Specifically, it introduces the practices of the 'EdBridge Forum' in Japan and discusses strategies for expanding these practices internationally through the 'Cross-region Online Lesson Study' initiative.

The Need for Building Equal and Mutually Beneficial Relationships Between Research and Practice: Insights from Germany

Educational research has accumulated a vast knowledge base on how students learn and what teachers can do to enhance deeper learning. At the same time, teachers also have significant expertise in initiating and supporting students' learning processes. Unfortunately, these insights from research and practice are often disconnected from one another. To enhance students' experiences, it is crucial that research and practice mutually complement and learn from each other. This talk will address the need to build equal and mutually beneficial relationships between research and practice, drawing on insights from several German projects aimed at achieving this goal.

A Three-Year Voyage of Researchers and Practitioners in Synergy

This project delves into the advancement of teachers’ professional development and students’ deep learning of English in Taiwan through an international collaborative online teaching and learning initiative. This initiative engages both university researchers and school practitioners. International exchanges comprise online interactions with foreign teachers and students, with a focus on comprehensive cultural curriculum lesson plans designed to bridge local and international contexts. Additionally, it involves the integration of community and university resources to foster authentic international cultural environments, preparing participants for online exchanges conducted in English. Moreover, these cultural curriculum lesson plans are disseminated online, and Taiwanese and foreign teachers collaborate in co-teaching activities. University researchers work with teachers to identify areas for professional growth and to assess student learning outcomes and gaps.

Workshop: Anticipating Possible Problems in Collaboration between Practitioners and Researchers and Working Together to Come up with Viable Solutions

The majority of educational researchers and their practitioner counterparts (especially school teachers) would probably agree that collaboration between them would appear desirable, as it would likely lead to higher quality outcomes that would have a greater impact on teaching and learning practices. At the same time, many researchers and practitioners may view such collaborations as somewhat prohibitive or even daunting for various reasons. To help toward remedying this situation, in this workshop, we will first outline some of the commonly known challenges to such collaboration and provide some advice for making those more manageable. We will then propose some basic steps that can help toward making such collaborations possible. From there, we will provide opportunities for participants to share their views and any experiences they may have had of such collaborations, and get them to work together in formulating viable solutions to any persisting problems, as well as any new ones that may be identified. Our aim will be to enhance workshop participants’ understanding of how such collaborations can work effectively and how they can realistically engage in them if they wish to do so.