#707: From Implementation to Innovation: Re-imagining the role of Practice in Research

Reverse Translation (RT) is a conceptual framework repositioning educational practice as a generative source of knowledge. Drawing from Design-Based Research (DBIR), Research-Practice Partnerships (RPPs), and Improvement Science (IS), RT challenges the conventional theory-to-practice pipeline by beginning with practitioner-identified tensions and insights. It offers a structured process for elevating practitioner insights into theoretical discourse, fostering reciprocal learning, and context-specific innovation. This model is especially relevant for knowledge mobilizers, such as instructional coaches and teacher leaders, who often support others’ growth without sustained opportunities to develop their own practice. RT contributes to the learning sciences by expanding methodologies for practice-initiated inquiry, deepening commitments to equity, and strengthening the relevance and adaptability of contextually grounded interventions. Using vignettes and applied examples, this paper identifies how RT can inform professional development and research design, bridging the research-practice divide in more effective ways.