%0 Journal Article
%A Unwin, AR
%D 2017
%F discovery:1549402
%J International Journal of Education and Literacy Studies
%N 1
%P 533-539
%T Community of Practice or Practice Communities: Online Teacher Development
%U https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1549402/
%V 7
%X This paper draws on research from a larger project  that concerned new teachers studying the Master of  Teaching (MTeach). The research was interested in  how teacher’s participation in the online discussions  (ODs) contributed to feelings of community and how  this helped them develop and understand better their  practice. It was apparent that participants felt that  elements of community developed during the MTeach  and that the ODs helped facilitate and sustain this  community. This is something that sometimes  contrasted with their experiences in school or was an  additional support network for them. The value of  these communities manifested itself in participants  feeling less isolated, feeling safe, being able to  honestly share and compare experiences in a nonjudgmental  way, feeling trust and being empowered  and more confident about their teaching strategies.  The ODs enabled a practitioner focus where  participants could share information and  experiences and seek advice. This centered on what  was happening at school, in their department, in  their classroom, with groups and with individual  students. Often this involved discussing relatively  short term issues and ideas but there was clear  evidence of longer term strategies starting to develop  and be considered important. These practical issues  were not only about their classes and teaching but  also about wider early professional development  (EPD) matters such as support and power relations.  Findings are that the ODs provided a sense of  community, with an underlying practitioner focus  that developed their criticality. That these gains were  the result of careful pedagogic design that  underpinned the ODs.
%Z This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.