Epilogue: Implications arising from a national research project on higher education science and engineering learning communities

Abstract

This final paper in this special issue of Research in Science & Technological Education on higher education science and engineering learning communities seeks to summarize the key findings from the project. The research reported in this special issue provides insights into the nature of learning communities for science and engineering higher education students and staff. A particular feature of this project was the involvement of lecturers and tutors who were part of the teaching staff in New Zealand’s higher education. As noted earlier (Coll 2008), these staff were an integral part of the study – being members of the learning communities investigated and thus, acting as ‘insiders’, they provide a unique insight into the nature of these learning communities. In brief, the study sought to detail the nature of higher education science and engineering learning communities, and to understand how these communities differ for teachers and learners at different educational levels, all viewed through a sociocultural lens. Here, we summarise the findings for the study as a whole, and consider the implications of this work for the teaching and learning of science and engineering in higher education.