Abstract: Continuous teacher professional development is recognised as the most effective strategy for improving school quality and students' learning outcomes. An action research study managed and examined online teacher communities of practice for professional learning in rural India through a reform initiative. Over 400 secondary mathematics teachers participated in our 2-year study. The results reveal that the community of practice connected universities and schools and provided teachers with pedagogical and technical support. It encouraged Pedagogical Content Knowledge discussion and diffusion of reform initiative ideas into districts. Well-managed communities of practice assist teacher educators to scale professional development.
About the speaker: Before joining NIAS in January 2025 as adjunct faculty, Bindu worked at TISS's Centre of Excellence in Teacher Education in Mumbai for 10 years. Her skills and interests lie in the development of scalable professional development programs and pedagogical support systems for teachers, including communities of practice, using technology.