Architectures for Learning: A Comparative Analysis of Two Urban School Districts

Item

Title

Architectures for Learning: A Comparative Analysis of Two Urban School Districts

Abstract/Description

This article explores the usefulness of communities of practice theory for understanding how districts can create organizational environments that foster teachers’ opportunities to learn the new ideas and practices required to carry out ambitious reforms. It draws on data from a longitudinal study of the implementation of ambitious mathematics curricula in two urban districts. By analyzing the contrasting ways that teachers in two schools in each district were linked to each other and reform efforts at the district level, the article shows how the district reform effort in one district led to significant opportunities for teacher learning and alignment with reform goals while efforts in the other district coordinated action but failed to spur meaningful opportunities for teacher learning. The article closes with implications for policy and practice.

Author/creator

Stein, Mary Kay

Coburn, Cynthia E.

Date

2008

In publication

American Journal of Education

Volume

114

Issue

4

Pages

583-626

Resource type

en Research/Scholarly Media

Resource status/form

en Published Text

Scholarship genre

en Empirical

Open access/full-text available

en Yes

Peer reviewed

en Yes

ISSN

0195-6744

DOI

10.1086/589315

URL

Official Publisher's Webpage (The University of Chicago Press Journals)

Full-text PDF Shared by Author (ResearchGate)

Citation

Stein, M. K., & Coburn, C. E. (2008). Architectures for Learning: A Comparative Analysis of Two Urban School Districts. American Journal of Education, 114(4), 583–626. https://doi.org/10.1086/589315

Item sets

OB Citations: Teacher Collaboration in School Improvement

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