Cultivating Communities of Practice to develop primary school educators’ TPACK

This research examines innovative approaches to cultivating Communities of Practice (CoPs) used by primary school educators to develop their technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK). The research was grounded in the CoP social learning theory and the TPACK model. The study used a qualitative research technique with a group of 12 teachers who completed open-ended survey questionnaires, one-on-one semi-structured interviews, and observational sessions. Furthermore, this research included one school principal and two deputy principals who actively participated in all data-gathering methods except for the survey questionnaires. The findings indicated that the participant educators had formed an informal CoP within their schools, through mutual engagement characterised by teamwork. In this context, educators acquired Technological Knowledge (TK), Pedagogical Knowledge (PK), and Content Knowledge (CK) from each other. The shared repertoire facilitated by the exchange of teaching materials enabled educators to acquire TK, CK, and Technological Pedagogical Knowledge (TPK). The findings may serve as a framework for advocating the recognition of CoPs by national governments and international organisations such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) as a practical approach to sustainable Teacher Professional Development (TPD).