About this Research Topic

Background

Education systems worldwide have long grappled with issues of equity and fairness. As awareness of systemic inequities—exacerbated by socioeconomic factors and historical and ongoing injustices—grows, the call for transformative change becomes increasingly urgent. Educators, policymakers, community members, and researchers from around the globe have long focused on addressing educational disparities through meaningful collaborative practices and partnerships. These disparities vary across regions of the globe, as do conceptions of equity and efforts to address them within educational systems.

Understanding how to promote equity in and through educational collaborations across different regions is vital. In 2020, community scholars published “Principles of Collaborative Education Research with Stakeholders." These principles advocate for collaborations that prioritize equity by ensuring genuine involvement from all participants. This means structuring partnerships to give marginalized voices equal or even greater influence than traditional decision-makers. Furthermore, these collaborations are aimed at tackling significant community issues related to educational inequity, concentrating efforts on underserved and marginalized groups and communities, and being answerable to these communities for meaningful and tangible outcomes.

The degree to which educational collaborations have incorporated these principles into their daily operations remains uncertain. Moreover, one must question whether these efforts are sufficient. Collaborative efforts to address equity issues can—and have—gone wrong. Articles that touch upon challenges surrounding equity highlight instances that led to or nearly led to the failure of collaborative efforts and illustrate how unequal power can hinder genuine collaboration, stifling marginalized voices and contradicting the very goals of equity. In addition, such efforts can encounter resistance to their efforts to promote equity in systems. Consequently, this raises important questions about the effectiveness of educational collaborations' efforts to foster truly inclusive partnerships.

This research topic aims to critically explore equity in and through educational collaborations in different regions across the globe, focusing on successful strategies and notable failures with respect to both process and outcomes. By examining nuanced case studies of efforts to promote equity in and through collaboration, the collection will highlight critical perspectives on collaborative practices, fostering a deeper understanding of navigating the complexities of equity in education.

The scope of this research topic is designed to elevate discussions on equity in and through educational collaborations, encouraging contributors to explore several specific themes. First, we invite contributors to name how they are conceptualizing equity in and through collaboration and addressing inequities within systems and their collaborations that they see as important to confront. In addition, we invite contributors to highlight best practices by identifying and showcasing instances where collaborations have led to tangible benefits for underserved and marginalized communities. These examples can serve as valuable models for others seeking to implement collaborative practices and also highlight the complex nature of equity and how it is played out in different contexts.

Furthermore, we seek a critical examination of setbacks and repair in collaborations and failed collaborations. Contributors are encouraged to analyze instances where efforts to promote equitable processes have not succeeded, delving into underlying factors such as power imbalances, lack of genuine stakeholder engagement, differences in institutional logics or stakeholder demands, systemic constraints, and insufficient attention to community needs. Cases or instances where setbacks and failures were followed by acts of repair are also encouraged. Understanding these setbacks, failures, and attempts at repair is essential for fostering more effective collaborations in the future. We also invite articles that build on existing principles of collaborative research to propose practical frameworks and guidelines that emphasize equitable involvement and decision-making processes.

To achieve these objectives, we welcome various types of manuscripts. Empirical research articles that present original studies on educational collaborations are sought. These could include quantitative analyses, qualitative case studies, or mixed-methods approaches. We also invite literature reviews that comprehensively synthesize existing research on equity in educational collaborations, highlighting gaps in knowledge, trends, and best practices. Additionally, we welcome articles proposing theoretical or conceptual frameworks that adapt or create new models for understanding equity in educational collaborations, which could guide future research and practice. Lastly, we are particularly interested in community perspectives. Manuscripts that elevate the voices of community members, students, and educators from marginalized backgrounds (including through co-authorship) will be valuable in sharing their insights and experiences regarding equity in and through educational collaborations. Through these contributions, the research topic aims to create a rich dialogue on equity in and through educational collaborations, ultimately promoting better practices and outcomes for all stakeholders involved.

Interested author teams are invited to submit a Manuscript Summary by March 7, 2025. The summary should be between 400 and 450 words and follow the structure of a Frontiers abstract, including the following sections: Introduction, Methods, Findings, and Discussion. Along with your Manuscript Summary, please include a separate line outside the abstract word count indicating your willingness and ability to pay the publication fee if your manuscript is selected for publication.

Authors whose Manuscript Summaries are selected will be notified within one month of submission and invited to submit a full manuscript by June 30, 2025. Manuscript Summaries will be evaluated based on quality, with a goal of representing diverse issues and geographic regions.

We are pleased to offer three publication waivers to selected manuscripts to promote inclusivity. Waivers will be granted based on demonstrated need, and authors will be contacted directly regarding eligibility. Please note that publication waivers are limited and not available to all submitting authors.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Conceptual Analysis
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Editorial
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Conceptual Analysis
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Editorial
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Systematic Review

Keywords: Equity, Collaboration, Partnerships, Educational Change, Community-Engaged Research

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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