#1149: Practitioner Transitions: Role of Materials, Mentoring, and Staged Participation

This paper examines boundary crossing and identity expansion within the Practitioner Research Idea Summit (PRISm), a cohort-based research–practice partnership for educators. Using a case study research design, we analyse two participants’ trajectories from Learner toward mentoring roles (Learning Buddy; Research Buddy) based on semi-structured interviews and programme documents. The analysis revealed transitions of participants within and across batches of PRISm, and the mediating role of boundary objects such as templates, checklists, and rubrics, in the transition. Findings indicate that research identity emerges through ongoing engagement with research-oriented thinking, reflective practice, and application in professional contexts, rather than solely through tangible outcomes like publication. Boundary objects, guided mentorship, and explicit expectations facilitated productive transitions, while role ambiguity hindered them despite motivation. The study underscores that structured participation, recognition, and transfer of learning are essential for fostering research agency and practitioner-led inquiry.