Communities of practice in higher education: contradictory narratives of a university-wide curriculum reform

This article presents an analysis of the experiences of scholars in a university-wide curriculum reform in one public research university. The focus is on the intentions and dynamics that shape the curriculum process in the local communities of practice (CoPs). The data, comprising interviews with 2...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Studies in higher education (Dorchester-on-Thames) 2017-11, Vol.42 (11), p.1941-1957
Main Authors: Annala, Johanna, Mäkinen, Marita
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
College Faculty
Colleges & universities
Communities of Practice
Community
community of practice
Content Analysis
Curiosity
Curricula
curriculum as process
Curriculum Development
curriculum reform
Education reform
Educational Change
Entrepreneurship
Foreign Countries
Higher Education
Interviews
narrative analysis
Narratives
Research Universities
State Universities
Teacher Attitudes
Traditions
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Summary:This article presents an analysis of the experiences of scholars in a university-wide curriculum reform in one public research university. The focus is on the intentions and dynamics that shape the curriculum process in the local communities of practice (CoPs). The data, comprising interviews with 25 scholars, are examined as experience-centred narratives of curriculum change. Two distinct types of narrative - dialogical and reproductive - are found to reflect how the curriculum change was negotiated. In further analysis, Wenger's dimensions of CoPs, namely, mutual engagement, joint enterprise and shared repertoire, are used as a conceptual framework to identify the intentions and dynamics behind the narratives. The following dimensions emerged: (1) intending to cross borders versus maintaining prevailing traditions and positions; (2) attempting to find shared goals versus delaying or discontinuing the process and (3) having enough curiosity to familiarise oneself with the unfamiliar versus deprecating and rejecting it.
ISSN:0307-5079
1470-174X
DOI:10.1080/03075079.2015.1125877