ABSTRACT
Within early years settings, forming a community of practice (CoP) has been identified as being beneficial to the work lives and practices of educators and has also been shown to have a direct causal link to improved student outcomes. Establishing a CoP is a strategic and purposive approach to learning and improving practice through practice. However, simply mandating or encouraging educators to work together is not enough. Understanding both the structure (the what) and processes (the how) necessary for the benefits of a CoP to be realised is critical. This chapter examines the steps CoPs undertake when they are formed and how they are sustained over time. It also explains and provides examples of the processes that can and should be undertaken by an early years CoP to promote collaboration. Focusing on what the members of a CoP do and how they do it can promote a culture of community, organisational learning, and quality improvement through common practices.
