Supporting the acquisition of expertise: Fostering individual development and creating professional communities

Abstract

Much emphasis is put on the analysis how best to support the acquisition of professional expertise by discussing (a) theories and empirical research that addresses the change of knowledge structures during the development of expertise, (b) the importance of individual efforts in deliberate practice, (c) the notion of situated learning as an appropriate theoretical pattern to understand the interrelation between individual and social contributions to professional development, (d) its connection to the historically well-established idea of apprenticeship, and finally (e) professional development as a process of growing into a community of experts.