The relationship between students' communities of practice and achievement in religious education

Abstract

The concept of Community of Practice as suggested by Wenger, has sustained the idea that learning is situated. What is a Communities of Practice is explained and its process outlined Through this dissertation I was interested in learning more about communities of practice and how these can contribute to the learning and instruction that occur in school. In particular, this study outlined a number of communities in which secondary students participate. The relationship between students' annual scores in Religious Education and this affiliation in communities of practice was verified. The study was carried out by a questionnaire which all the students concerned filled in. This yielded considerable information about how Communities of Practice influence achievement in Religious Education. Results reveal that a sound relationship between these two factors exists and it is very strong. The results of this research will hopefully help teachers and designers of Religious Education to become more aware of these communities and to be empowered to present units and lessons that help students connect scholastic knowledge with meaning constructed in their Community of Practice.