ABSTRACT Communities of practice, based on the work of Etienne Wenger, is being adopted as a framework in higher education to facilitate and foster professional learning. This article describes the emergence and cultivation of a university community of practice. Based on a desire to enhance our work as teacher educators and the learning experiences of our students, Karen, the first author, invited faculty to become part of a self-study group in a faculty of education. We remained a fluid entity for almost two years. Eventually, we evolved into a core group of seven faculty who were interested in conceptualizing and implementing a shared self-study inquiry. Data collection methods and sources included audio recordings of weekly meetings, collaborative reflections, meeting minutes, and personal journal reflection. Outcomes report on the evolution and functioning of the self-study group over an 18-month period. Principles for cultivating a community of practice are used to retroactively reflect on the successes and tensions the group experienced, group dynamics, group leadership, the nature of collaboration, individual and group learning, and strategies used to foster productive community functioning.

中文翻译：

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培养实践的自学共同体：教师对进化和功能问题的反思

摘要以艾蒂安·温格（Etienne Wenger）的工作为基础的实践社区正在被用作高等教育的框架，以促进和促进专业学习。本文介绍了大学实践社区的出现和培养。基于提高我们作为教师教育者的工作和学生学习经验的愿望，第一作者凯伦（Karen）邀请教师加入教育学院的自学小组。我们保持流动的实体近两年了。最终，我们发展成为由七个教师组成的核心小组，他们对概念化和实施共享的自学探究感兴趣。数据收集方法和来源包括每周会议的录音，协作思考，会议记录和个人日记反映。结果报告了自学组在18个月内的演变和功能。培养实践社区的原则用于追溯反思小组所经历的成功和紧张，小组动态，小组领导，协作的性质，个人和小组学习以及用于促进生产性社区运作的策略。