1. Introduction
2. Literature Review
2.1. Identity
2.2. Community of Practice (CoP)
3. Materials and Methods
3.1. Context and Setting
3.2. Participants
<Table 1>
3.2.1. Lia’s Story
3.2.2. Hyman’s Story
3.2.3. Reis’s Story
3.3. Data Collection and Analysis
4. Results
4.1. The Blindfold Game Community
4.2. In-Group Discussion Community
4.3. The Part-Time Job Experience Sharing Community
“It is hard to work with Lia. When we worked on the product project, Lia was very bossy, and Hyman was very quiet. Lia blamed Hyman for hurting her ankle during the game, and I had to comfort both of them to get our work done. I told Lia that Hyman didn’t do it on purpose, but she was still angry. I also asked Hyman to speak more. I feel I did a lot, but Lia didn’t seem to see this and wanted to fight with me” (Informal talk, Oct. 14th).
5. Discussion
5.1. Research Question 1: How Do Students Construct and Negotiate Their Identities Within Communities of Practice?
5.2. Research Question 2: How Do These Constructed and Negotiated Identities Affect Students’ Practices and Interactions Within the Learning Communities?
6. Conclusions and Implications
1). Encourage Open Dialogue: Create classroom environments where students feel comfortable expressing their identities and perspectives through structured discussions and activities that promote equal participation.
2). Build Trust: Facilitate activities that build trust among students, such as group projects with clear communication expectations, as trust is foundational to effective collaboration and identity negotiation.
3). Support Diverse Communication Styles: Recognize and accommodate different communication preferences to ensure that all voices, including quieter students, are heard. This can be achieved through smaller group discussions or alternative ways for students to contribute.
4). Provide Emotional Support: Acknowledge the emotional labor involved in roles such as mediation and offer support to students who may feel burdened by these responsibilities. This can involve individual check-ins or providing resources on conflict resolution.