Examining the Disconnect Between Communities of Practice Learning Theory and Educational Practices in the PharmD Program in Qatar
Objective. To examine the Qatar University Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program for evidence of incorporation of communities of practice (CoP) learning theory. Methods. A developed CoP framework was used as a theoretical instrument to analyze the evidence of CoP theory in QU PharmD program, utilizing a case study research approach. Results. The research suggests that the evidence of the CoP framework in the PharmD program falls into three categories. The first category represents elements of CoP that were fully evident, such as knowledge recontextualization, social and professional acceptance, and effective assessment measures. The second category represents elements that were partially evident, such as the formation of a co-development team, informal learning, mentoring strategies, and preceptors’ orientation to assessment. The third category represents elements that were not evident, such as collaboration between faculty and preceptors and ensuring the reliability and validity of assessment tools. In cases where elements of CoP were implemented, this was an implicit rather than explicit application of CoP theory. Therefore, it was theorized that the disconnect between CoP learning theory and educational practices is at the “implicit disconnect” level. Conclusion. This research indicates that the CoP framework facilitated the identification of areas for future quality improvement and suggests that the theoretical CoP framework could be used by other programs to identify areas for improvements. We theorize that a full and explicit implementation of learning theory into educational practices is crucial, which calls for the collaboration of academic, practice, accreditation, and governmental sectors in pharmacy educational reform initiatives.