Abstract

As both educational technology and Communities of Practice (CoPs) have become more established in schools globally, it is unsurprising that they have been employed together to improve teachers’ practice. The creation of collaborative professional learning groups to support the use of educational technology in the classroom has been explored in research literature, yet questions remain about the impact and effectiveness that such interventions have for participating teachers. This qualitative meta-synthesis explores how CoPs are used to facilitate teacher professional learning regarding classroom technology integration, and the reported outcomes on teacher practice and student learning. While the studies are consistently positive in their analysis of CoPs, we contend that the current literature is limited in being largely focused on reporting change over impact. Our analysis highlights limitations and inconsistencies in the extant studies, provides suggestions for researchers and practitioners aiming to implement CoPs focused on educational technology, as well as directions for future research around these topics.

Citation

Smith, C. & Becker, S. (2021). Using Communities of Practice to Facilitate Technology Integration Among K-12 Educators: A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 29(4), 559-583. Waynesville, NC USA: Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education. Retrieved March 25, 2023 from https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/219900/.

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