Mathematics teachers' interaction patterns and role changes in online research-practice partnerships: A social network analysis

Research–Practice Partnerships (RPPs), in which researchers and teachers come together with the shared aim of driving educational improvement, have lately gained recognition in the education community. Whilst studies have demonstrated the positive effects of RPPs, potential challenges in establishing long-term and mutually beneficial RPPs have been reported. To understand these challenges, the present study explores dynamic changes in team interaction patterns and roles using Social Network Analysis (SNA), then employs qualitative analysis to elaborate the mechanisms underlying these changes and resulting outcomes. The visual and quantitative results of the SNA reveal that interaction patterns shifted from a researcher-centered (hierarchical) pattern to a decentralized pattern, with increasing numbers of participants exhibiting a higher level of activity and exchange over time across the four discussions in a RPP. As for role changes, researchers played more of a leading role in the first two discussions, while teachers played a more equal role in subsequent discussions. The qualitative findings identify some key factors that lead to the changes in interaction patterns and roles, including: the process of negotiating meaning through lesson study; the establishment of trust between participants; and a concern for how role changes may positively impact teachers' and researchers’ professional development. These findings thus offer insights into how to create more effective and long-lasting RPPs.