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

esearch by asserting that the idealised conception ofhow social and educational
research is designed and executed is fallacious. He notes that there is a
misconception that research is carefully planned in advance using predetennined
methods and procedures, and that 'results' are the inevitable.
Data analysis and data collection are often closely linked and as a result will
influence future steps in the research process. Arguably, the most notable issue in
the notion ofan emerging design is that the nature and purpose ofdata analysis in
qualitative research is the development ofhypotheses, research questions and
theory from data. This necessitates an emergent design as the researcher makes
sense ofquestions and issues that emerge out ofthe data. The essential purpose of
qualitative research is to understand the lived experience, that is, the social
behaviours ofthe researched as they occur in different contexts.
• The researcher's tacit knowledge is central to the design ofthe research inquiry.
This significant feature ofthe qualitative research paradigm illuminates its
predisposition to foreground tacit knowledge. It is 'upfront' about this position
and makes explicit tacit knowledge, thereby ensuring rigour and credibility in the
inquiry.
3.3 ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF WENGER'S SOCIAL PRACTICE
THEORY OF LEARNING
Wenger's social practice theory oflearning infonned the way the TEMS teacher
development project was set up and the way the data were analyzed. The TEMS project
that was established was based on the assumption that stimulating participation in a
community ofpractice would enhance teacher learning. This assumption was influenced
by the work ofLave and Wenger (1991), Wenger (1998) and Wenger McDennott and
Snyder (2002) who argue that learning is a way ofbeing in the social world and not a
way ofcoming to know about it. Learning is a way ofbeing and of changing participation
and identity within a community ofpractice.
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