Communities of practice

The various examples cited in literature all emphasise the importance of educators frequently, continuously, talking about their teaching practice, as well as observing one another in the practice of teaching and working collaboratively on curriculum issues. Therefore, the issue of communities of practice will be discussed to highlight how educators can benefit from it.

Maistry (2008:364) is of the opinion that educator development through participation in educator communities of practice is a relatively new phenomenon in South African educator education. Locating educator professional development activities within a community of practice, supported by access to quality resources and expert input from Higher Education Institutes, offers much potential for advancing the educator professional development agenda in South Africa. Communities of practice originated in response to several barriers to professional development that exist in the culture of schooling, such as the isolated nature of teaching and the lack of agreement as to what constitutes acceptable practices. Citing Wideman and Owston (2003), Maistry (2008:364) suggests that communities of practice are seen to be vital in sustaining and expanding the momentum of change. It is important to value the learning that takes place in communities of practice, by making time and resources available for their work, encouraging participation and removing barriers.

In the same vein, Steyn (2008:24) maintains that approved professional development programmes should be differentiated to meet the learning needs and learning styles of all educators and, more importantly, to encourage collective learning in communities of practice. Effective professional development programmes require the isolation that permeates teaching to be broken down, so that educators can work together as professionals and assist in developing their schools. This collaboration will contribute towards the development of a positive school culture that is committed to change and the creation of better learning opportunities for all. Collaboration amongst educators utilises their strengths, knowledge and skills, whilst also stimulating reflection and broadening perspectives – this gives rise to more effective teaching and ownership of their professional learning. Steyn (2008:25) cites Wenger (2000) as stating that communities of practice are a prerequisite for learning. The

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value of participation to the community and the educator lies in becoming part of the community and experience a sense of belonging. Moving towards full participation involves greater commitment of time, intensified effort and more responsibility within the community with more difficult tasks and an increasing sense of identity as a master educator. Steyn (2008:25) also cites Lee (2005), who in line with Wenger‟s reasoning, who believes that professional development programmes designed for groups of educators from the same school generate several benefits. Educators can share experiences, skills and problems encountered during the development programme. In addition, the professional development approach is receptive to educators‟ needs and goals and how they learn, whilst also promoting the goals of the school. It also has a greater influence on changing educators‟ practice.

Maistry (2008:122) provides the following brief outline of Wenger‟s social practice theory. The work of theorist Etienne Wenger (1998) has much significance for understanding educator learning in a community of practice. Wenger (1998) argues that educators should adopt a perspective that places learning in the context of our lived experience of participation in the world. Learning is as much part of human nature as eating or sleeping. Learning is a “fundamentally social phenomenon”. Wenger‟s four main assumptions about learning are as follows:

• People are social beings.

• Knowledge entails competence with respect to valued enterprises. • Knowing involves participating in the pursuit of such enterprises.

• Meaning is the eventual product of learning and refers to our ability to experience the world and our engagement with it as meaningful.

Wenger‟s theory is on “learning as participation”, i.e. learners being active participants in the practice of social communities and constructing identities in relation to these communities. For communities, it means refining their practice and ensuring new generations of members. Learning is an integral part of our daily lives and is represented by our participation in our communities and organisations. In addition, Kennedy (2005:244) states that Wenger (1998) contends that learning within communities of practice involves three processes, namely:

65 • Evolving forms of mutual engagement. • Understanding and tuning their enterprise.

• Developing their repertoires, styles and discourses.

According to Kennedy, Wenger‟s social theory of learning recognises that learning within a community of practice happens as a result of that community and its interactions, and not merely as a result of planned learning episodes, such as courses. Depending on the role played by the individual as a member of the wider team, learning within such a community could either be a positive and proactive or a passive experience, in which the collective wisdom of dominant members of the group shapes the other individuals‟ understanding of the community and its roles (Maistry, 2008:122).

Citing Little (1981), Fichtman-Dana and Yendol-Hoppey (2008:23) state that four specific behaviours characterise the conditions of a community of practice. Firstly, educators must have frequent, continuous, concrete and precise talk about their teaching practice. Secondly, they should observe each other engaged in the practice of teaching and administration and serve as critical friends to each other as they talk about those observations. Thirdly, educators are expected to be collaboratively working on the curriculum by planning, designing, researching and evaluating their curriculum work. Fourthly, educators must become comfortable sharing their new craft knowledge by teaching each other what they have learned.

Professional learning communities are associated with both changed educator practices and a changed professional culture by embedding continuous educator learning into that culture. Simply being a “member of a community of practitioners” provides meaning and context to educators‟ learning experiences. Rather than educator collaboration simply being a contextual variable that enhances individual change and growth, it also nurtures and supports learning and change in the community. It is the culture of the community that contributes to both individual and group changes and learning (Loucks-Horsley et al., 2010:142).

From the various sources of literature studied, it is evident that professional communities of learning hold many benefits for the individual educator wishing to

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grow professionally. These learning communities not only allow educators to participate more in decisions that affect them, but it also allows them to share the pressures and burdens that emanate from everyday teaching. It would also seem as if these learning communities give educators ownership of their own learning, and as such, enhance their professional confidence.