Within and beyond communities of practice: Making sense of learning through participation, identity and practice
Abstract
Situated learning theory offers a radical critique of cognitivisttheories of learning, emphasizing the relational aspects of learning withincommunities of practice in contrast to the individualist assumptions ofconventional theories. However, although many researchers have embraced thetheoretical strength of situated learning theory, conceptual issues remainundeveloped in the literature. Roberts, for example, argues in this issue thatthe notion of ‘communities of practice’– a core concept in situated learningtheory – is itself problematic. To complement her discussion, this paperexplores the communities of practice concept from several perspectives.Firstly, we consider the perspective of the individual learner, and examine theprocesses which constitute ‘situated learning’. Secondly, we consider thebroader socio‐cultural context in which communities of practice are embedded.We argue that the cultural richness of this broader context generates afluidity and heterogeneity within and beyond communities. Finally, we arguethat it is sometimes difficult to distinguish conceptually between the terms‘participation’ and ‘practice’ because of occasional duplication of meaning. Wepropose, instead, a refinement of the definition to allow for greaterconceptual clarity.