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

practice originated in response to several barriers to professional development that exist
in the culture ofschooling, such as the isolated nature ofteaching and the lack of
agreement as to what constitutes acceptable practices. The concept of 'community of
practice' was first used by researchers to describe the way in which meaning was
negotiated and reflected on in the practices ofspecific occupations such as architects,
physicians and tailors (ibid.).
The concepts 'community ofpractice' and 'learning community' are often used
interchangeably. Communities ofpractice emerge from a common desire among its
members to achieve change. They provide opportunities for collaborative reflection and
inquiry through dialogue and thus develop common tools, language, images, roles,
assumptions and understandings (ibid.).
In their study ofthe role that teacher communities ofpractice play in the development of
the capacity ofteachers to implement innovative pedagogical practices that make use of
information and communications technology in three Canadian schools, Wideman and
Owston (2003) conclude that communities ofpractice are crucial to sustaining and
expanding the momentum for change. Once a critical mass ofparticipants (teachers) have
acquired expertise and experience, then only will the real value oflearning in a
community ofpractice achieve fruition (ibid.). Although this presents as an 'obvious'
circular argument, that suggests that with expertise in place, most systems are likely to
work, the above study does in fact highlight the important relationship between expertise,
community sustenance and momentum. It has particular significance for the present
study, where teachers in the community ofpractice who had acquired sufficient expertise,
were able to sustain and expand the momentum ofEMS teacher development through
expanded learning communities.
Working with science teachers, Avery and Carlsen (2001) studied the effects ofteachers'
membership ofcommunities ofpractice on their management oftheir classroom
communities. They found that teachers who had strong subject matter knowledge and
experience with science were able to teach science in a 'sociologically' useful way.
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