Virtual communities of practice as responses to the turbulence of 2020: developing equity and justice leadership

Abstract

Purpose

Virtual communities of practice (VCoPs) supported educators during the COVID-19 pandemic and the resurgent movement for racial justice that arose in 2020. Four VCoPs offered a venue for practitioners and researchers to develop social capital in the face of pandemic and persistent institutional racism.

Design/methodology/approach

Researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with organizers of four VCoPs and collected supporting documentation from those organizers.

Findings

VCoP organizers created opportunities to develop bridging and bonding capital of equity- and justice-focused educators.

Research limitations/implications

The analysis points toward the affordances of VCoPs in crisis response and equity leadership.

Originality/value

This original analysis extends work on communities of practice, generally, virtual communities of practice, and equity leadership development.

Citation

Bornstein, J. and Gil, E. (2023), "Virtual communities of practice as responses to the turbulence of 2020: developing equity and justice leadership", Journal of Professional Capital and Community, Vol. 8 No. 3, pp. 269-282. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPCC-07-2022-0036