The term “Communities of Inquiry” is used by Wells (1999) in a discussion of “dialogic inquiry” rooted in the work of Vygotsky. He distinguishes communities of inquiry from communities of practice by highlighting the importance of ‘‘metaknowing through reflecting on what is being or has been contributed and on the tools and practices involved in the process’’ (Wells, 1999, p. 124).
“[…] participants grow into and contribute to continual reconstitution of the community through critical reflection; inquiry is developed as one of the norms of practice within the community and individual identity develops through reflective inquiry. This combination can be seen as particularly relevant to the development of teaching through teachers and educators inquiring into their own practices of teaching mathematics […]” (Jaworski, 2006, p. 202)
References:
Wells, G. (1999). Dialogic inquiry: Towards a sociocultural practice and theory of education. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Jaworski, B. (2006). Theory and practice in mathematics teaching development: Critical inquiry as a mode of learning in teaching. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, 9(2), 187–211. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10857-005-1223-z
