Understanding the role of learning communities of practice within a degree apprenticeship to enhance inclusive engagement
Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning
ISSN: 2042-3896
Article publication date: 2 October 2023
Issue publication date: 20 October 2023
Abstract
Purpose
Building on the concepts of learning communities of practice, the paper aims to evaluate their application within degree apprenticeships (DAs) to support pedagogic engagement and inclusive education within a university setting.
Design/methodology/approach
A case study of an existing B2B sales degree apprenticeship reviewed relevant programme documents and evaluated apprentice learner experience through an anonymised online survey.
Findings
The study found that sales apprentices had a reflexive awareness of how learning communities operated within this context and raised some valuable insights about their perceptions of inclusive education. These communities have differing dynamics that value engaging with workplace professionals, peers and university. Apprentices prefer tuition that accommodates their shared interests as employee learners within an occupational role. Issues surrounding inclusive education are seen as integral to the experience of being an apprentice.
Practical implications
Post-Covid engagement could be used to frame more effective social learning for work-integrated practice and programme teams could advocate for a greater integration of DAs within institutional settings.
Originality/value
This research indicates that B2B sales degree apprentices see themselves as operating within distinctive learning communities of practice that support their work-integrated (WIL) studies in higher education. The paper recommends programme teams provide more collaborative engagement within learning communities to support inclusive education goals.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge an internal Enhancing Education Award that funded conference attendance and a Research Assistant, Haseeba Ghaffar, who contributed a review of university-based services for post-research implementation. The research was partially presented as a conference paper for the 12th International Researching Work and Learning Online Conference Toronto (RWL12).
Citation
Nottingham, P.M. and Mao, Y. (2023), "Understanding the role of learning communities of practice within a degree apprenticeship to enhance inclusive engagement", Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, Vol. 13 No. 5, pp. 1009-1022. https://doi.org/10.1108/HESWBL-02-2023-0041
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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