Cross-cultural communities of practice for college readiness

Abstract

College readiness is a social construct requiring both student and adult preparedness. This paper used a case study methodology to explore how teaching in an early college program might promote adult college readiness in the instructors. A community of practice, enhanced by a co-teaching model, in two separate high school settings under one early college program, was the unit of analysis. The communities of practice provided a safe place for risk-taking, experimentation and innovation. Semi-structured interviews revealed growth in cross-cultural understanding, content knowledge and contextual skills and knowledge as well as general teaching skills, all of which would contribute to student success in the secondary/postsecondary transition. Self-discovery and self-expression flourished, but concrete changes in identity were minimal and institutional learning was marginal.

Keywords:

• collaborative teaching
• college readiness
• college school cooperation
• community of practice
• co-teaching
• cross-cultural communication
• cultural influences
• early college high school
• teacher identity
• team teaching

Notes

1. This research paper follows several outcome reports and related reports on student support and parental engagement for the early college program (Leonard 2010a, 2010b, 2012a, 2012b, 2013b).

2. The terms co-teaching and team teaching are both used in the research literature and often refer to the combination of regular and special education teachers in an inclusion classroom. In this case study, the classrooms were not inclusive and there were no special education instructors.