Investigating an ELT community of practice in India

Abstract The study reports on the genesis of an Indian ELT Community of Practice (CoP) and its impact on its members during and after the Covid pandemic. Quantitative and qualitative data collected through a questionnaire, reflective narratives, and observations explored how the participant teachers evaluated the impact of community participation on their professional learning, consistent with the concept of situated learning through legitimate peripheral participation in a CoP. Participants’ reflections testified how members’ journeys from peripheral to full and intensified participation through involvement in CoP activities offered opportunities for learning and legitimising their role as community practitioners. The insights offered might be relevant for utilising informal bottom-up CoPs for teachers’ continuous professional development in general and also provide ideas for making such CoPs run effectively for teacher development. It argues that bottom-up Communities of Practice can become an integral part of in-service teacher education in India and similar challenging contexts.