Title: Science teaching strategies developed in an online community of practice: a case study

Authors: Margarida Morais Marques; Maria João Loureiro; Luís Marques

Addresses: Centro de Investigação Didática e Tecnologia Educativa na Formação de Formadores, Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal ' Centro de Investigação Didática e Tecnologia Educativa na Formação de Formadores, Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal ' Centro de Investigação Didática e Tecnologia Educativa na Formação de Formadores, Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal

Abstract: Communities of practice (CoPs) have been presented in the literature as potential promoters of teaching strategies, however, with scarce empirical evidence. This paper's purpose is to present empirical evidence supporting the potential of online CoPs, involving teachers and researchers, for the development of effective science teaching practices. A single case study - the teaching strategies developed by an online CoP - was conducted, under the Portuguese project IPEC. Content analysis of the developed lesson plan and teaching resources was complemented with evidence from online interactions and dissemination papers produced by the CoP. The CoP developed a field trip combining diversified science teaching strategies, such as contextualised learning and questioning, referred in the literature as effective. The results also point to the evolution of the teachers' practices and, hence, they support the claim that online CoPs involving teachers and researchers can help improve science teaching practices.

Keywords: teaching strategies; science education; online CoPs; communities of practice; web based communities; virtual communities; case study; Portugal.

DOI: 10.1504/IJWBC.2015.072134

International Journal of Web Based Communities, 2015 Vol.11 No.3/4, pp.305 - 321

Received: 28 Mar 2015
Accepted: 01 Apr 2015

Published online: 01 Oct 2015 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article