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Sustaining Communities of Practice with Early Career Teachers pp 21–43Cite as

The Value of Communities of Practice for Early Career Teachers

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Abstract

The importance of retaining early career teachers through supportive measures such as Communities of Practice is an international challenge that has been extensively documented. This chapter, drawing on a longitudinal study of a regional secondary school in Victoria, Australia, considers the value a group of early career teachers gained from belonging to two different Communities of Practice over a three-year period. Their stories suggest belonging to these collaborative communities allowed them to thrive in their teaching practice as they participated in learning loops, taking ideas, and strategies gained from the Communities of Practice to the classroom and then back again to the community for further feedback and support. As well, the Communities of Practice scaffolded their application for leadership positions later in their career. Analysis highlights the importance of Communities of Practice particularly in rural communities, for supporting the professional learning of early career teachers where professional learning opportunities can be limited.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The doctoral study is entitled, Companions on the journey: an exploration of the value of communities of practice for the professional learning of early career secondary teachers in Australia. It involved research with early career teachers in Australia and New Zealand in 2016 in regard to their participation in Communities of Practice, including those in social media.

  2. 2.

    Rural College is a pseudonym to protect the privacy of the school.

  3. 3.

    The Index of Community Socio-educational Advantage (ICSEA) is a scale of socio-educational advantage that is computed for each school in Australia. For more details see https://www.myschool.edu.au/media/1820/guide-to-understanding-icsea-values.pdf.

  4. 4.

    Coaching Group is a pseudonym to protect the privacy of this business.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD, Australia

    Jacquelin McDonald

  2. Australian Catholic University, Fitzroy, VIC, Australia

    Bernadette Mary Mercieca

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  1. Jacquelin McDonald
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  2. Bernadette Mary Mercieca
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Correspondence to Bernadette Mary Mercieca .

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McDonald, J., Mercieca, B.M. (2021). The Value of Communities of Practice for Early Career Teachers. In: Sustaining Communities of Practice with Early Career Teachers. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6354-0_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6354-0_2

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