Refocusing the Lens on Knowledge Mobilization: An Exploration of Knowledge Brokers in Practice and Policy

Refocusing the Lens on Knowledge Mobilization: An Exploration of Knowledge Brokers in Practice and Policy

We examine the process of increasing the integration of research and evidence into education practice and policy through the lens of knowledge mobilization. Using qualitative methods, we examine the experiences of knowledge brokers－those who facilitate the exchange of knowledge between individuals and organizations－ throughout the education sector so that we can frame knowledge mobilization to practice and policy more effectively. Our work highlights brokers’ efforts to mobilize not only resources to be implemented, but also values, beliefs, and practices. We show that trust and affect are central to the deeply relational work of knowledge mobilization, which requires brokers to be attuned to the learning journeys and organizational, structural, and cultural contexts of practitioners and policymakers. Relationships between brokers and practitioners/policy makers were key not only in settings involving close research-practice partnerships, but across all levels of knowledge mobilization, even in large-scale online spaces. Implications of this refocusing of knowledge mobilization are discussed for both brokers and researchers.