A Network Model for Connecting Mathematics Faculty in Communities of Practice: Where is the Value?

Abstract

Creating sustained, transformative change within and across organizations is challenging, particularly when those undertaking change act as individuals. COMmunities of Practice (CoPs) are organically created collaborations among like-minded participants, working toward a common set of goals (Lave & Wenger, 1991; Wenger-Trayner & Wenger-Trayner, 2014). CoPs offer an avenue for members to connect individuals across various boundaries. In this paper, we investigate the ways in which regional CoP leaders experience value participating in their community, using the Communities for Mathematics Inquiry in Teaching (COMMIT) Network as our unit of study. The COMMIT Network is a grant funded project aimed at engaging mathematics faculty at institutions of higher education in regional CoPs around teaching with inquiry. In this study we examine the experiences of CoP leaders nested within this network setting. We interviewed 19 leaders from eight United States regions to understand their perceptions of individual and collective value participating in the regional CoP and COMMIT Network structures. We framed our study on Wenger et al. (2011). Promoting and assessing value creation in communities and networks: A conceptual framework. Open University of the Netherlands.) Value Framework. Our findings show that leaders found Immediate Value as individuals participating in a collaborative, supportive CoP environment and they found Realized Value in terms of the impact their CoP could make on instructional practices, both in their region and the network. An unexpected finding examines how future opportunities for value creation may influence long-term sustainability and transformation of college mathematics instruction. We provide implications for the ways that regional CoPs, along with CoP networks, can provide value for members through such communities.