Community-centric learning through practitioner inquiry

Valuing Relational Inquiry over time, this study invites consideration of the learning made possible through community-centric engagement. Drawing on a small Australian study, this paper demonstrates the power of practitioner inquiry as a change agent in educational settings and the benefits of inclusive participation in professional learning. Drawing on the perspectives of participants from a suburban public school in Victoria and two suburban preschools in New South Wales, the study highlights both the power of individual voices and the strength of the collaborative. Survey data offers participant profile information, while analysis of project summaries gives colour and depth to participant inquiries undertaken by individuals or small teams. Combining adult learning and professional development (term used in some citations), this exploration highlights the power of co-researching topics of personal and professional interest in sites valuing provocations, persistence and pedagogical growth. Supported by face-to-face input with whole teams, workshop facilitation, and online feedback, ideas were developed over time. This part of the study extends earlier research demonstrating the entanglement of communities of practice and community-centric thinking. Building on previous work and blending ‘lived experience’ with learning communities, individual voices strengthen data on the power of collaborative thinking for educational change.

Experiential learning · Faculty Development · Practitioner research · Professional development · Professional learning community · Qualitative research · Indigenous and Place-Based Education · Innovative Education and Learning Practices · Service-Learning and Community Engagement

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