Equity challenges in a national researcher–practitioner partnership – an insider perspective from Norway

Introduction In the field of education, researchers and practitioners are engaging in diverse externally funded researcher–practitioner partnerships (RPPs) to identify and address pedagogical and societal challenges. This study explored challenges in establishing equity in a partnership with national partners to improve the national framework for the induction and mentoring of newly qualified teachers in Norway. Our theoretical framework is the theory of practice architecture. Methods This self-study of the partnership, named STEP, involved researchers from two universities and senior practitioners from the Union of Education Norway, the Norwegian Teacher Student Union, and the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities. We analysed the eleven participants' critical reflections from an online questionnaire. Results While the partnership was initially designed for collaboration, much of its early work was characterised by coordination and traditional roles. Challenges arose from taken-for-granted expectations, resources, roles, and differing understandings of equity in planning and conducting research and policy within a complex RPP work. Discussion The results are discussed and elaborated using the theory of practice architectures.