Analysing Social Learning of Teacher-Learning Groups That Aim at Knowledge Creation

Abstract

Teacher-learning groups (TLGs) are an emerging type of collegial collaboration in teacher training colleges. A TLG of teacher educators that was studied aimed to develop a new curriculum for aspirant primary school teachers. This TLG created a sustainable knowledge base necessary to implement a new teacher training curriculum. An extended version of the Dimensions of Social Learning Framework (Vrieling et al., Teach Teac Theory Pract 22:273–92, 2016) was used to reveal indicators for sustainable knowledge creation. The adapted framework – in this chapter abbreviated as DSL-E Framework (E, extended) – was informed by the Social Capital Model (Ehlen, Co-creation of innovation: Investment with and in social capital (Doctoral dissertation). Open University of the Netherlands, Heerlen, The Netherlands, 2014) and the Value Creation Framework (Wenger et al., Promoting and assessing value creation in communities and networks: a conceptual framework. Open University of the Netherlands, Heerlen, The Netherlands, 2011). The usefulness of this adaptation for analysing sustainable knowledge creation was explored with a case study. Results show that the DSL-E Framework is helpful to identify indicators for sustainable knowledge creation. First, the use of the DSL-E Framework revealed the collective knowledge working identity as indicator. A gradual development of distributed leadership as well as an inquiry-based attitude appeared necessary ingredients in this matter. Second, institutional value creation was found an important indicator for sustainable knowledge creation. This indicator says that TLGs should involve all stakeholders when starting a joint enterprise and connect actions to institutional goals right from the start.