The Needs of the Many: Generating Mixed Methods Studies through Building and Nurturing Strong Research-Practice Partnerships in Education

There is a dearth of literature on research partnerships in educational settings, where research inherently is practical and aimed at enhancing learning systems. However, the pace of research in these settings often can be slow, leading to a disconnect from the immediate needs of K-12 schools (Cousins & Simon, 1996; Ion et al., 2019). This article delves into a long-term educational research-practice partnership between a K-12 school district and university researchers. This partnership, which is deeply rooted in the practical needs of the schools, has resulted in numerous quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research studies. We draw on the insights gained from this ongoing partnership to provide guidance on dispositions and action steps that can be applied in other partnerships to facilitate robust mixed methods research studies.