Moving From the Periphery to Practitioner: Investigating the Development of a Community of Practice Within a Year-Long Clinical Experience

This research reports on a 3-year project involving the implementation of an intentionally designed year-long clinical experience delivered within a school–university partnership. Research questions focused on the extent the organizational facets of the experience contributed to the development of a community of practice (CoP) and how candidates’ perceptions of their preparation were associated with components of the CoP. Findings demonstrated the importance of candidates building foundational relationships with school personnel and peers and the impact of supported, authentic practice. Implications are discussed as related considerations to deepen partnerships and provide clinical experiences with structured opportunities for relationship building and examinations of practice.