Beyond research use: repositioning research and initial teacher education institutions within a research–policy–practice integration ecology

This discussion paper responds to the OECD report, “How can research and initial teacher education institutions support research use?” While the OECD report highlights the two institutions’ roles in knowledge mobilisation, the problem should not be framed merely as insufficient dissemination but rather as a reflection of how research, policy, and practice are often organised as separate domains. This paper thus proposes a shift from research use to research–policy–practice integration ecology. It recognises key sources of separation among the three fields, i.e. spatiotemporal misalignment, knowledge-discourse divide, and evaluation divergence. It then proposes a cyclical model of integration comprising three mechanisms and six steps: spatiotemporal co-fusion (co-setting goals and co-creating plans), knowledge-discourse co-construction (co-translating discourses and co-validating knowledge), and evaluation co-governance (co-evaluating outcomes and co-adjusting institutions). Conditions required for such integration are also identified. Within this integration ecology, research and initial teacher education institutions serve as pivotal hubs.