The community of Practice for Excellent Schools (CoPES) in the Schools Division Office of Camarines Sur: An Ethnographic Research

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Innovative strategies to support and implement education thrusts and agenda mostly come from the teachers. Thus, educators become excellent individual performers but not so much as collective achievers. This study explored the strong power of collective effort involving four categories of stakeholders as espoused in E. Wenger's Community of Practice. The study led to the establishment of a support system for excellence-driven schools.

METHODS

The ethnographic research method employed the consensual qualitative research approach in treating the results. The data collection of the 40 respondent-schools passed the process of case analyses, coding, and interpretations. General and variant categories of responses were labeled. These were validated through on-site visits and the conduct of learning action cells. The researcher was part of the study team as the facilitator and the auditor of the CQR process. Domains and themes were derived through consensus, making this study highly qualitative.

RESULTS

Results of thematic domains characterized Community of Practice (CoP) as: 1) a learning conduit that serves as a channel for building professional learning communities; 2) a cost-effective support system for introducing innovation; and, 3) a mission-driven learning group that owns up success in school. Significant findings showed that the schools which implemented CoP have common characteristics such as: a) clear sense of purpose of achieving zero dropouts in 4 secondary schools; b) high levels of collaboration and engagement among stakeholders; c) improved relationships with students, parents and community noted in the low to zero recorded teacher-teacher, teacher-parent, and student-teacher conflict; d) climate conducive to learning; e) effective instructional leadership and delivery; and, f) stronger professional staff. The innovative projects and practices for excellence were highly evident among the pilot schools. A CoP Model Framework for Excellent-driven Schools was derived.

DISCUSSIONS

There is a need to harness the strong potential of major stakeholders as CoP practitioners to share in instituting program agenda on recurring bottlenecks. The pioneering projects and practices collaboratively identified, tested, implemented, and proven effective need to be replicated. The members' pooled expertise is a success factor in the community of practice. Models and best practices need to be shared to strengthen their framework for excellence-driven schools in the province.