AUTHOR=Farrell Caitlin C. , Resnick Alison Fox , White Terrenda , Arce-Trigatti Paula , Penuel William R. , Botchway Kingsley 

TITLE=From brief to boundary object: a framework for designing boundary infrastructure for learning across research and practice

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Education

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/education/articles/10.3389/feduc.2025.1669123

DOI=10.3389/feduc.2025.1669123

ISSN=2504-284X

ABSTRACT=This paper introduces a framework aimed at designing equity-centered boundary infrastructure that supports learning at the intersection of research and practice. Drawing on 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.