Designing With Equity: How Communities of Practice Foster Educational Leaders’ Development Through Self-Determination Theory

This project brief considers how self-determination theory can support the design and facilitation of communities of practice (CoPs) with educational leaders to promote equity in schools by providing opportunities for autonomy, competence, and belonging. This study investigated how CoPs met the basic psychological needs that contribute to engagement and deeper learning through a sense of well-being and motivation. We collected data through in-depth interviews with nine CoP facilitators, revealing that effective CoPs foster autonomy by centering educational leaders’ contexts and interests, nurture competence through lifelong learning skills, and enhance relatedness while extending a sense of belonging by creating supportive environments. The findings emphasize the importance of designing CoPs that address these psychological needs to enhance engagement and promote learning for equity. Practical implications include strategies for facilitators to involve educational leaders in decision-making, provide ongoing support for continuous learning, and ensure diverse narratives within CoPs. This research underscores the significance of CoPs in developing equitable educational leadership and offers actionable insights for practitioners.