University EFL teacher learning in community of practice

Abstract

This study describes the complexity and diversities in the process of teacher learning. It examines a harmonious and supporting group learning through the construction of teachers'community of practice. Education reform in the era of knowledge economy requires teachers to be education practitioners, researchers, and innovators. Teacher learning is not only of practical importance but also of theoretical importance to teachers and teacher educators. The proposal of Community of Practice (Lave & Wenger, 1991) opens up a new way for teacher learning and professional growth. In their book Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation (1991), Lave and Wenger propose that harmonious atmosphere of group learning is created through the construction of teachers' community of practice. In the community of practice, learning is a process of participation in the social practices, requiring the participants to adapt to the social relationships in the professional community. Based on the theory of community of practice, the study aims to obtain a better understanding of teacher learning in community of practice by adopting a qualitative research method of making in-depth investigation of university EFL teachers in southwest China. Specifically, three questions are intended to be answered in this study: (1) how do university EFL teachers understand teacher learning and community of practice? (2) how do university EFL teachers undertake teacher learning in community of practice? and what do university EFL teachers learn through community of practice? and (3) what mechanism of action does the community of practice have? The investigation is conducted among three groups of EFL teachers at different professional development level in a community of practice. The study adopts a qualitative-interpretive approach, so the main method adopted in the study is ethnography. Data are collected mainly through teacher interviews, teacher meetings, observations, narrative inquiry, and case study. By using coding framework and thematic analysis, some key words and key incidents have been elicited to help us to understand how the teachers learn. The results indicate that teacher support groups, mentoring, exchange visits, overseas training, and study salons are currently main models of teacher learning in community of practice. Teacher learning mainly embodies in the improvement of teachers' instructional skills, solution of teaching dilemma, improvement of teachers' student awareness, self improvement and self professional development.