Developing communities of practice for educator professional learning : Developing connections in rural and remote regions

This chapter reports on school-based research conducted in a rural and remote region of Australia. Educators within these areas often feel not only geographically isolated but also isolated from opportunities for professional learning to support their teaching practice. Evidence suggests ‘Communities of Practice’ (CoP) as a useful strategy to support educators’ professional learning, facilitating sustainable growth within community members to better support each other and the needs of the learners they teach. Teleconsultation has grown as an alternate mode for delivering professional learning to geographically isolated areas. Teleconsultation uses electronic communications and technology to provide support when distance separates the participants. This study explores how professional learning employing a teleconsultation approach could support a CoP for educators in rural and remote regions teaching young learners on the autism spectrum. Findings demonstrate educators in rural and remote schools, particularly those with young learners on the spectrum, benefit from the support a teleconsultation approach provides for a CoP. The research provides insight into how supporting a CoP can overcome many difficulties experienced by educators in rural and remote regions with young learners on the spectrum