Abstract
Within the landscape of teaching and learning, technology has been highly influential in transforming various practices. Community of Practice (CoP) still remains significant for knowledge and skills transmission. There are several key aspects of CoP that informs and complements its structure concerning good practices, namely: Joint Enterprise, Mutual Engagement and Shared Repertoire. Community, Domain, and Practice also serve as pillars for the CoP structure. Seemingly, putting together these facets of CoP, stretches the opportunity for educational ecosystems to become compatible towards conducting continuous Teacher Professional Developments. The South African District Teacher Development Centre Managers within DTDC are expected to support teachers to develop professional learning communities (PLCs) by using the acquired experience from their current existing CoPs (Education, 2015).The manner in which they create and coordinate their current existing CoPs will determine the success of the proposed notions of Professional Learning Communities. Centre managers apply their knowledge of CoP in various ways, however, not much is known about their common understanding of CoPs. This study seeks to investigate their conceptions in the knowledge, and application, of Community of Practice theory in order to support teacher professional development within their different districts. Preliminary findings reveal the need for a common Community of Practice theoretical framework to better assist the implementation of PLCs in various disciplines. Overall understanding shows some differences in many ways, most of the DTDCM reflected positively with understanding of a good CoP theoretical framework structure. PTD, and the readiness in helping educators to establish PLCSs in their different subjects. While on the other hand, some of the participants have shown poor understanding of the CoP structure in their related practices. However, a lot have contributed to these limitations, such as accessibility to internet, digital illiteracy and many more.
M.Ed.