Developing professional knowledge within a community of practice: questions for Scottish Teachers for a New Era

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Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to consider the claim of the Scottish Teachers for a New Era project that it is providing a ‘unique opportunity to renew the profession'. This claim cannot merely he seen within the context of initial teacher education (1TE), but rather it has to be viewed within the context of the wider community of Scottish education. The Scottish Teachers for a New Era project envisages the development of communities of practice as a tool for the development of student teachers within ITE, but this paper highlights three other areas that the project should consider. First of all, there is an opportunity to overcome the dichotomy between educational research and practice, not only for student teachers but also for the wider community. Secondly, the fashioning of communities of practice by this project presents a chance to tackle the ongoing problem of reinventing the wheel with regard to curricular reform. Thirdly, this project can provide a means by which practising teachers can develop their own counternarratives that will generate new knowledge that will be of value to both teachers and academics.

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