Despite the persistence of the digital divide and ongoing challenges presented by advances in artificial intelligence, little evidence has been used to guide implementation of educational technologies (edtech). In 2024, the National Educational Technology Plan (NETP), urged state edtech leaders to address disparities in edtech access and opportunity issues, encouraging the use evidence to analyze and communicate recommendations, assess local needs, and develop implementation and evaluation plans. Despite existing evidence that research-practice partnerships (RPPs) can meaningfully connect research, practice, and policy, few studies have considered the potential of a partnership between state-level edtech leaders and researchers as a vehicle to promote research use. Holland and colleagues will design a multi-state RPP with 30 members from the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA). The team proposes to use a mixed-method, convergent parallel study design to conduct hypothesis testing and assess the role of an RPP in improving the use of research evidence and altering state edtech leaders’ social networks. The findings from the study will contribute to the literature on the use of research evidence among state-level decision-makers in designing, implementing, and communicating policy, while illuminating the role RPPs may play in improving brokering activities.
Does engaging in a cross-state research-practice partnership facilitate state-level educational technology leaders’ use of research evidence to inform equitable use of education technology?
