Teacher Learning in a Community of Practice: A Case Study of ...

learning along the learning continuum for each ofthe four learning components. The
TEMS programme was an informal teacher development programme that invited
different levels ofparticipation (core membership, active membership, while also
accommodating 'lurkers', and 'peripherals') and therefore had a unique appeal in that
participation in the TEMS learning community was voluntary. This allowed teachers to
participate at will. Such voluntary participation was always likely to produce uneven
outcomes as a result of uneven participation.
The co-ordinator's role was central to the efficient functioning ofthe community,
ensuring that 'community maintenance' activities were taken care of. 'Community
maintenance' is an 'intrinsic part' of any practice. However, because it may be much less
visible than the more instrumental aspects ofthat practice, it can be easily undervalued or
not recognised (Wenger 1998). The 'community maintenance' activities certainly
received acknowledgement and were indeed appreciated by community members. It
certainly was a feature that shaped the outcomes ofthe TEMS programme in positive
ways.
Finally, this study tracked and analysed the development ofa community ofEMS
teachers using Wenger et aI's model offive stages ofcommunity development, as the
community progressed through its various stages. It analysed different levels of
membership as theorised by Wenger et al (2002) in order to explain different levels of
participation by different members.
8.3 IMPLICATIONS FOR TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
8.3.1 Social practice theory offers insights into a workable alternative for CPD in
the face of acute financial constraints
Many countries are engaging in major educational reform in order to meet the needs of
the economy and society and governments have begun to acknowledge the fact that
teachers are crucial role players ifany change in the education system is to be effective
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