Teacher Learning in a Community of Practice: A Case Study of ...

4.3 THE COHERENCE OF METHODOLOGY AND THEORETICAL
FRAMEWORK
In the present study, theory was used in different ways. Wenger's social practice theory
oflearning informed the conceptualisation ofthe TEMS project and provided a focus for
data collection. The research approach and the data analysis were guided by the tenets of
symbolic interactionist ethnography. In terms ofWenger's social practice theory of
learning, data collection would have to include teachers' voices and actions as they
engaged in the community ofpractice. This necessitated a special kind of relationship
with the teachers, one that involved building relationships, establishing trust, developing
rapport and credibility, and developing mutual respect in order to gain meaningful and
effective access to the data. Data collection would depend on active participation by
research participants as well as acute researcher sensitivity to the participants in the
study. Wenger's theory articulates well with the tenets ofsymbolic interactionist
ethnography, which also advocates, "learning the languag'e ofthe participants, with all its
nuances... (and) to show how meanings emerge in interaction" (Woods 1996:41).
Symbolic interactionist ethnography has much potential and "can contribute to a
sociology oflearning" (ibid.:75).
In the process ofdesigning the research study, I had to work out the multiple roles that I
would have to take on as the research process unfolded. Graven's (2002) approach to this
dilemma was particularly useful and relevant to the current study. One ofthe roles that I
adopted was that of 'participant observer' in the TEMS community ofpractice. This
entailed my participation that took the form ofme as facilitator ofthe TEMS project
embedded in the community ofpractice (providing a professional input). Merriam (1998)
notes that adopting this role requires that the observer's activities be well known to all
and subordinate to the researcher's role as participant. My ventures into teachers'
classrooms saw my role shift to that of 'observer participant'. In this instance, the
observer's activities are known to all, but take precedence above participation. The
dynamic nature ofthe research and the complex, constantly changing nature ofthe TEMS
project influenced the way in which these roles ofobserver participant and participant
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