Since the creation of the CoP in 2003, it had formed a unique climate. In this section, some factors which had formed the environment and its impact on teachers’ professional learning are reported.
Most teachers and the professor regarded the CoP as not only simply a PE teacher learning community, but also ‘a community like a family’ in which members shared their personal lives.
Researcher: You mentioned that CoP meetings were similar to that of a family gathering, could you specify or give an example as to why you feel this way?
Steve: In a way that we are involved in each other’s life like that of a family, not only workwise but also personal stuff too. There is a strong bond between us and the support we give each other is very unconditional. For example, I invited all the members to my house for dinner and it is rare for me to invite colleagues to my home. In other words, I don’t think of them as mere colleagues (Interview 6).
There were different factors which had formed the family-like atmosphere. Firstly, some teachers (13 of 35) graduated from the same university and were taught by the professor. Their relationships, which were built in the university, was one of the important factors to form strong sense of community.
First of all, the fact that the majority of them attended the same university, and studied under the same teacher are strong contributing factors in explaining high levels of intimacy amongst CoP members. On top of this basis, they are all walking the same career path as a PE teacher. I think under these circumstances it a strong bond is inevitable (the professor, Interview 4).
example, teachers visited the professor’s house to have the New Year’s bow7 every year.
Peter: I am not sure if this could be an example (that demonstrates our close relationship), but every year on new year’s day, we all visit the professor at his home to pay our respects and wish him a good year. We have done this without fail since we established the CoP in 2003.
Researcher: All the members?
Peter: Yes, it is a (CoP’s) tradition. We eat lunch with his family, we chit chat like one big family. This tradition is very endearing to me. On occasions like this, I feel that we are more than that of colleagues but more a family (Interview 4).
Thirdly, sharing members’ personal lives also could be a way for them to feel higher levels of intimacy. Teachers had experienced members’ wedding events or funerals of members’ parents or had celebrated members’ personal success.
We share our lives, not only work related matters but our personal matters as well. We support each other through hardships and success. For example, we celebrated when Kay (a member) gave birth and when Ben (a member) became a lecturer. And every year on Teachers’ Day, we all visit the professor to express our gratitude (George, Interview 6). For example, my criteria of assessing closeness in a relationship are those whom I have shared personal events such as, weddings, birthdays and funerals with. And members of CoP are friends whom I can rely on and are the first people that I think of for support when the going gets tough or even to share good news (Judy, Interview 4).
Lastly, sharing the X teaching model was also an important factor to unite teachers. Some teachers thought that the X teaching model was the most decisive factor of the CoP.
Sharing the same educational philosophy and specifically, the X teaching model is certainly a key factor to the strong bond within CoP. A group of people that belong to a community
7 It is a traditional activity which people perform in Lunar new year. Younger members of a family
with the same career and passion is unique. I think that the bond among the members wouldn’t be as strong if there were any conflict of interest (Peter, Interview 4).
You know we have many types of work in the CoP, such as doing some projects, holding workshops or writing PE textbooks. Sometimes I feel a burden to be involved in all the works. But, because we all have a belief that we share the same educational philosophy, this is a big part (Henry, Interview 3).
Teachers thought that the atmosphere was helpful to develop their pedagogies because it gave them comfortable feelings. For example, George was able to have a feeling that he was being supported through experiencing teachers’ mutual sharing about their personal stories.
A week ago, Alex (a member) posted his current issues on the online café. He complained about his students and the relationship problem he was having with the head teacher. The content of the post was very personal. Normally, in such a community people would remain very professional and would post online with work related queries. This is evident that we are all very comfortable with one another to share personal issues. We all responded and sympathised with him of course. It is a very tightly knit community and we feel the support from one another, which is very comforting (George, Interview 6).
The atmosphere was also applied to the CoP meetings. As a result, each teacher able to give his/her opinions easily.
It (CoP) is a good place to sow the seeds. It is a positive environment to share and discuss new teaching ideas for implementation. Generally, other teachers outside of CoP are skeptical when a new idea is suggested but within CoP, the teachers are open and welcoming to discuss new ideas. They are very encouraging (John, Interview 2).
Today’s meeting begins and members share their personal lives very freely and under in a very comfortable mood. Alex begins to talk about his new school context and his wife. Peter makes a joke ‘you need to do more, the good old days are gone now!’, and all members laugh. While discussing the A project both Alex and Peter make jokes and other members laugh and respond positively (Observation, CoP meeting, 28 March 2015).
It was helpful to sustain the CoP over the more ten years. The professor thought that the comfortable climate was an essential factor which led to the CoP’s development and continuity.
The meetings do not feel like an obligation when you are close to one another like we are in the CoP. This is a great upside of CoP. The meetings are like a family reunion where we can talk about everything whether its work related or personal matters. I think this has been the strongest link to the continued meetings of the CoP (the professor, Interview 4).
However, contrary to the positive impacts of the atmosphere on teachers’ professional learning above, it had limitations. That is, some teachers thought the atmosphere was ‘too’ family-liked so that members could not be critical of each other.
It’s like, we prefer to give each other positive feedback. We rarely criticise one another, even if we do criticise, its constructive critiscism. We try not to attack or hurt one another with negative criticism so that with every feedback we can approach our work constructively (Peter, Interview 4).
As a result, even where some teachers did not take their responsibilities appropriately, teachers could not be critical.
It seems that deadlines are hard to keep among the teachers (of the CoP). Working with one another would be a lot easier if deadlines were kept. The CoP does not have any penalty for not keeping deadlines. We tend to work with what we have received (by the deadline) and we have managed which may be the reason for the lack of penalties. Regardless, I think this aspect illustrates that work is not forced upon but rather it is done voluntarily in the CoP (Henry, Interview 6).
In summary, the CoP had formed the family-like atmosphere by developing traditional events, sharing personal lives and using the same teaching model. Although the atmosphere had a limitation of not being critical of each other, it was felt that it positively influenced teachers’ professional learning.