This chapter explores the evolving landscape of collaborative research between instructors and researchers, emphasizing the need for practice-centered approaches to strengthen educational practices and support professional development. Grounded in traditions such as Action Research, Participatory Action Research, and Design-Based Research, the chapter highlights how teachers can serve not only as recipients of research but as co-researchers and co-producers of knowledge. It outlines the historical and theoretical roots of these approaches, including models like Learning Study, Teacher Development Partnership Research, and Research-Practice Partnerships, while acknowledging their potential to bridge the persistent gap between theory and practice. The chapter also critically examines the tensions and challenges inherent in these collaborations. Issues of power asymmetry, role ambiguity, trust uncertainty, and institutional constraints often limit meaningful participation and equitable knowledge production. The concept of the Third Space is introduced as a framework to support more balanced, dialogic engagement between academic and practitioner knowledge expertise. Ultimately, the chapter calls for a nuanced understanding of collaborative educational research that recognizes its political, cultural, and structural dimensions, and foregrounds sustained, reciprocal relationships as key to a more professionalized instructional practice.