University English Teachers’ Learning In Communities Of Practice

Education reform in the era of knowledge economy requires teachers to take a positive attitude to face new knowledge, new technology, new tasks and new challenges, and requires teachers to be education practitioners, researchers and innovators. Teachers’ professional development is not only a practical issue of great concern to teachers, also an important theoretical problem faced by teacher education research community. The propose of "Community of practice" opens up a new way for teacher professional development which creates a harmonious atmosphere of group learning through the construction of teachers’ community of practice, driving the participating members to the professional development track."Community of practice" is proposed in Lave and Wenger’s book Situated Learning:Legitimate Peripheral Participation in1991, in order to express that learning is a process of participation in the social practices, requiring the participants to adapt to the social relationships in the professional community.based on the theories of social constructivism and community of practice, the study adopts qualitative research method, makes in-depth investigation on currently university English teachers learning in community of practice in southwest China, analysis teachers’ growth and development in community of practice, aims to obtain deeply understanding of teachers’ learning acts in community of practice, and seeks new enlightenment of teacher learning in community of practice, in order to support professional development of English teachers in universities.Specifically three questions attempt to be answered in this study:(1), how do university English teachers understand teacher learning and community of practice?(2), how do university English teachers undertake teacher learning in community of practice?(3), what do university English teachers learn through community of practice? The study adopted qualitative-interpretive approach, so the main method adopted in the study is ethnography. Narrative inquiry, case study, observation and interview are also used for data collection.The study is conducted among three university English teachers from different rang of community of practice and different professional development level. Data forms are mainly teacher interviews and meeting observation. The study finds that teaching and research group, mentor guiding, peer college exchange visits, oversea training and learning salon are currently main models of community of practice. Teacher leaning in those models mainly embodies in the improvement of teachers’ teaching skills, solving of teaching dilemma, improvement of students’ awareness and self-improvement and self professional development, etc.