ERIC Number: EJ1316938
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020
Pages: 27
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0147-1635
EISSN: N/A
Examining Communities of Practice: Transdisciplinarity, Resilience, and Professional Identity
Suh, Emily; Jensen, Darin
Journal of Basic Writing, v39 n2 p33-59 2020
This article examines transdisciplinarity in developmental education and Basic Writing in the context of externally-driven developmental education reforms. We report on a pilot study survey of 143 developmental educators regarding their professional identity, engagement, and resilience. Respondents identified professional roles and interactions with colleagues as central to conceptualizations of their practice and community. Respondents reported maintaining professional resilience through connections with students, colleagues, and their sense of agency. Despite the importance respondents placed upon connections with practitioners and their recognition of the transdisciplinary nature of their work as professionals, findings indicate limited awareness of the transdisciplinary nature of the community of developmental educators. Implications are discussed for widening developmental educators' community of practice to connect practitioners from diverse fields, professions, and institutional contexts. Future directions are discussed for developing teacher-scholars' types and levels of resilience for the purpose of exercising a voice in national debates about developmental education reform.
Descriptors: Communities of Practice, Interdisciplinary Approach, Resilience (Psychology), Professional Identity, Developmental Studies Programs, Basic Writing, Educational Change, Two Year Colleges, College Faculty
Journal of Basic Writing. Available from: Sheridan Press. 450 Fame Avenue, Hanover, PA 17331. Tel: 717-632-3535; Fax: 717-633-8920; e-mail: pubsvc.tsp@sheridan.com; Web site: https://wac.colostate.edu/jbw
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Two Year Colleges
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A