Communities of Practice and Teacher Development – lessons learnt from an educational innovation in Pakistan

Sajid Ali, Aga Khan University - Institute for Educational Development

Abstract

Abstract: Communities of Practice (CoP) is a novel idea that highlights the importance of informal learning and working groups in an organization. Organizations need to nurture informal spaces of learning so as to enhance overall organizational success. This article builds on this idea and applies it to educational context of Pakistan, particularly towards the issue of teacher training. The paper presents the example of an educational improvement programme in KPK province of Pakistan titled ‘Primary Education Project – Improvement of the Learning Environment (PEP-ILE)’. It is highlighted that PEP-ILE created cluster based training model around subject areas. Such configuration allowed for the development of CoPs among school teachers. The result was enhancement of overall performance and better students’ achievement.