Tananis, Cynthia A., editor. An Invitation to Study Group: A Collection of Think Pieces. Pittsburgh: Learning Moments Press, 2020.
When individuals enter a university, they enter a world of ideas; one that demands new ways of learning. This change entails letting go of the notion that knowledge is a static commodity to be passively assimilated. It entails an understanding that knowledge is socially constructed within deliberative communities. Study groups represent one form of deliberative community. More than gatherings for “discussion” or “conversation,” study groups offer a context for deliberating on important ideas. They provide an intellectual space for the give and take of different perspectives and for examining what we think we know or hope to understand. The contributors to this edited collection of think pieces reflect on their experiences as members of a group intent on studying their own practice. In sharing the challenges and rewards of study group participation, the authors hope to encourage ohers to engage in similarly productive study group experiences. Their message is particularly important given current school improvement initiatives that seek to involve educational practitioners in deliberations about the complexities of teaching and learning.