TY - JOUR
T1 - Developing an empirical account of a community of practice
T2 - Characterizing the essential tensions
AU - Barab, Sasha A.
AU - Barnett, Michael
AU - Squire, Kurt
PY - 2002
Y1 - 2002
N2 - This article examines the potential of a learning-as-a-part-of-a-community approach, focusing on the participatory process of learning in a community-based, teacher education program; a Community of Teachers (CoT). CoT is a preparation program for preservice teachers working toward secondary teacher certification in which they join an on-going community and remain a part of that community from 2 to 4 years. The entire process of learning as a member of CoT occurs fluidly through the reflexive relations among secondary school participation and university seminar participation, as well as through the active and reflective practices requisite for building one's portfolio of Program Expectations. In this study, 4 participant-observers used field notes, document analysis, and interview data to build grounded interpretations of community life. In this reporting of the data, we have framed these "experience-near" understandings in terms of core tensions (or illuminative dualities) and presented them in a manner that is likely to have "experience-distant" significance. By characterizing CoT life in terms of tensions or dualities, we hope to provide other educators - designers with an illuminative case study from which they can build petite generalizations - that is, use this discussion to more readily identify patterns occurring in their own interventions and navigate the challenges they face more intelligently.
AB - This article examines the potential of a learning-as-a-part-of-a-community approach, focusing on the participatory process of learning in a community-based, teacher education program; a Community of Teachers (CoT). CoT is a preparation program for preservice teachers working toward secondary teacher certification in which they join an on-going community and remain a part of that community from 2 to 4 years. The entire process of learning as a member of CoT occurs fluidly through the reflexive relations among secondary school participation and university seminar participation, as well as through the active and reflective practices requisite for building one's portfolio of Program Expectations. In this study, 4 participant-observers used field notes, document analysis, and interview data to build grounded interpretations of community life. In this reporting of the data, we have framed these "experience-near" understandings in terms of core tensions (or illuminative dualities) and presented them in a manner that is likely to have "experience-distant" significance. By characterizing CoT life in terms of tensions or dualities, we hope to provide other educators - designers with an illuminative case study from which they can build petite generalizations - that is, use this discussion to more readily identify patterns occurring in their own interventions and navigate the challenges they face more intelligently.
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U2 - 10.1207/S15327809JLS1104_3
DO - 10.1207/S15327809JLS1104_3
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0036403591
SN - 1050-8406
VL - 11
SP - 489
EP - 542
JO - Journal of the Learning Sciences
JF - Journal of the Learning Sciences
IS - 4
ER -