Communities-of-Practice theory as a framework for understanding community membership and learning¶

Theory · All theories
Evidence · 2 claims (1 for, 1 mixed) · 1 study (1 associational), q2 · 1 of 1 report an effect size · 2 claims rest on one study

Description¶

Communities-of-Practice theory (Lave & Wenger) holds that learning is a collective, social undertaking embedded in practice rather than a fixed, individual activity with a beginning and end. Wenger defines a CoP as "a group of people who generate knowledge in the process of sharing their knowledge, experience, or insight on a common interest". The article uses CoP as the theoretical background for interpreting honours students' perceptions, with three dimensions: joint enterprise, mutual engagement, and shared repertoire.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Sustaining enough mutual engagement in pursuing an enterprise together to share some significant learning

Constraints¶

• Membership can be an excluding factor, resulting in elitism where members acquire knowledge while others do not; membership does not always mean value for some members

Target Learners¶

• honours students in higher education

Target Learning Objectives¶

• learning through social participation and shared practice

Claims¶

• Active Participation Beats Mere Membership For Learning [+M]
• Honours Community Closedness Hinders Knowledge Growth [~M]

Related Theories¶

• Community of practice with Wenger's five membership trajectories
• Situated cognition: context, authenticity, and activity as key dimensions
• Situated Learning theory (legitimate peripheral participation in communities of practice)
• Sociocultural theory as the lens through which SLA views learners and learning
• Teaching and learning as social enterprises embedded within school and community contexts

Examples¶

-

Key Sources¶

• Wabike, P. (2021). Enhancing Learning through Community Membership: Honours Students' Perceptions of Community Membership and Its Impact on Learning. Journal of Educational Issues, 7(2). https://doi.org/10.5296/jei.v7i2.18814