Synergizing the research, policy, and practice nexus: The roles of EFL teaching research supervisors in China

A central aim of education is to align research, policy and practice to facilitate student learning. This study examines English as a foreign language (EFL) teaching research supervisors who mobilize knowledge by conducting research, supervising teachers, and supporting policy implementation in Shanghai, one of China’s most successful education systems. It investigates how teaching research supervisors at different education administration levels (i.e. municipal and district levels) fulfil their roles to synergize the nexus between research, policy and practice. A two-cycle qualitative data-coding and analysis approach was employed to interpret data consisting of semi-structured interviews and documents. The findings demonstrate that EFL teaching research supervisors adopted seven lines of work to carry out their roles to conduct research, supervise and support teacher professional development, and support policy implementation. These practices reflect their function as knowledge brokers who mobilize research, policy, and practice in context-responsive ways. The study contributes to theoretical understandings of knowledge mobilization and offers practical implications for strengthening research–policy–practice alignment in education systems.