Developing Teacher Identities as In Situ Teacher Educators through Communities of Practice

This qualitative study explored the development of classroom teacher identities as in situ teacher educators through a multi-year, school-university partnership. Seven focus group interviews conducted across three years with educators from high-need, urban schools were analyzed using Wenger’s theory of Communities of Practice (CoP). We found that teachers shared a vision for quality equity-based instruction for diverse schools and valued fresh ideas and their roles as partners in preparing a new pool of teachers. Teachers engaged in new practices through embedded learning and were fueled by their developing community with like-minded allies as teacher educators.