CONCEPTUAL ANALYSIS article
Front. Educ.
Sec. Leadership in Education
This article is part of the Research TopicStrengthening Equity in and through Research Collaborations in EducationView all 5 articles
From Brief to Boundary Object: A Framework for Designing Boundary Infrastructure for Learning Across Research and Practice
Provisionally accepted
Caitlin Farrell1*
Alison Resnick1
Terrenda White1
Paula Arce-Trigatti2
William Penuel1Kingsley Botchway3- 1University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, United States
- 2Rice University, Houston, United States
- 3Central Iowa Hospital Corporation, Des Moines, United States
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This paper introduces a framework aimed at designing equity-centered boundary infrastructure that enhances learning at the intersection of research and practice. Rooted in sociocultural learning theory and influenced by a multi-district equity initiative, the framework outlines four interconnected design principles: contextual responsiveness, disruption of power dynamics, support for transformational learning, and attention to enactment. To demonstrate the framework's application, we focus on the redesign of a traditional research tool, the research brief, reimagining it to foster transformational learning and support systems change. We conclude by exploring the implications of this framework for the design and study of boundary infrastructure.
Keywords: infrastructure, research use, transformational learning, power dynamics, systems change, school district
Received: 19 Jul 2025; Accepted: 20 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Farrell, Resnick, White, Arce-Trigatti, Penuel and Botchway. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Caitlin Farrell, caitlin.farrell@colorado.edu
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