Education Commons^™

Applying A Communities Of Practice Model To Research Partnerships, Elizabeth Hartnell-Young, Keryn Mcguinness

Dr Elizabeth Hartnell-Young

The quality and relevance of research is determined by those it affects, not just those who fund it or engage in it. A communities of practice model can bring together these diverse interests to meet national and local needs. Practice, the social production of meaning, is the source of coherence of a community. The specific practice of educational research is building and testing knowledge, and through the learning process necessary for this practice, numerous communities emerge, with complex boundaries and peripheries depending on people’s roles, purposes and expertise. Communication technologies can facilitate communities of practice, so that online dialogue, rather …