Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

Date of Award

5-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Department

Instructional Design and Development

Committee Chair

Joél L. Billingsley, Ph.D.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Teams have long been used to address major scientific and societal problems, and interdisciplinary teams are understood to be the best approach to complex systems-based problems like climate change. Engaged research collaborations incorporating community members as equal partners in research projects are recognized as both a means of advancing equity and justice in research, and also of improving the success of research translation by developing solutions with community use-value. The science of team science (TS) and community-engaged research (CEnR) have emerged as scholarly disciplines, with attempts to define competencies, skills, functioning, and success. A growing body of literature in these fields documents team interventions and evaluations, and offers theoretical models for competencies, development, and training. However, few researchers have considered the intersection of TS and CEnR (participatory team science), and the training needed to support this type of collaboration.

METHODS: This mixed-methods grounded theory study included comparative case studies of environmental resilience centers, whose disciplines appear less often in the training literature. In Phase 1, literature on training in TS and CEnR was used to develop an initial meta-model; in Phase 2, a questionnaire surveyed resilience center personnel; in Phase 3, case study interviews were conducted with participants from two centers. The final meta model integrated data from all phases of the study.

CONCLUSIONS: The resulting Launch and Support Model for Participatory Team Science produced the first identified set of competencies for participatory team science. It suggests that teams rather than individuals should be the audience for interventions; that long-term collaborations and community engagement contribute to team member satisfaction and project success; and that both training and institutions should be structured to encourage lasting, resilient collaborations. Case study data indicated that teams working on resilience issues may have some unique challenges. This study provides a theoretical basis for further research on participatory team science training, and a starting point for institutions that want to provide training for their faculty.

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