Communities of Practice. Intertwining People and Knowledge

Andoni Arguiñano is an Associate Professor at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) where he teaches at the Faculty of Education, Philosophy and Anthropology in the Department of Didactics and School Organization. He is a member of the ALHE research group and one of the coordinators of the European project ICIVIC. He completed his doctoral dissertation at Antzuola Herri Eskola, and since then has been one of the key facilitators of the communities of practice with which the research group collaborates. His area of expertise focuses on pedagogical renewal, attention to diversity, and the role of teachers in educational transformation processes.

Garazi Ormazabal is a postdoctoral researcher at the UPV/EHU (University of the Basque Country), in the Faculty of Education, Philosophy and Anthropology, within the Department of Didactics and School Organization. In the field of research, she is a member of the ALHE research group, where she actively participates in various projects. Among these, I-CIVIC, an international project funded by the European Union, stands out. In the area of educational innovation, her doctoral thesis focuses on Eskola Txikiak (rural schools in the Basque Country) organized through workshops. Specifically, she has analyzed the pedagogical keys that enable children to be at the center of the learning process. Her lines of interest include innovative learning experiences, childhood culture and empowerment, and research conducted with children.

Andoni Arguiñano is an Associate Professor at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) where he teaches at the Faculty of Education, Philosophy and Anthropology in the Department of Didactics and School Organization. He is a member of the ALHE research group and one of the coordinators of the European project ICIVIC. He completed his doctoral dissertation at Antzuola Herri Eskola, and since then has been one of the key facilitators of the communities of practice with which the research group collaborates. His area of expertise focuses on pedagogical renewal, attention to diversity, and the role of teachers in educational transformation processes.

Helena Forrellad Vives is a Primary Education teacher, currently retired, with a solid career closely linked to the reflection on and transformation of educational practice. She is the coordinator and trainer of the seminar “The Mathematical Culture of People” (ICE UAB / FPCEEB at URL), a space from which she promotes a humanistic and cultural perspective on mathematics in education. During the 2004–2005 academic year, she was granted a study leave, within which she developed the work entitled “The Meaning of the Classroom as a Social Reality. The Role of Mathematical Practices in the Processes that Constitute It.” This research focused on understanding the classroom as a social space constructed through practices and interactions. She has served as a teacher educator in the Mathematics Reflective Practice Program of the Department of Education of the Generalitat de Catalunya, contributing to teachers’ professional development from a critical and reflective perspective. She has also published several articles in the field of qualitative research in education, particularly focused on teaching practice, pedagogical innovation, and reflection on teaching–learning processes.

Early Childhood and Primary Education teacher and psychomotor specialist, with a solid 20-year career in both private and public schools, בעיקר working with children aged 0–6. She has training in various areas of education (Creative Education, Speech and Language, Sign Language, among others), extensive experience with different methodologies, and has carried out coordination and leadership roles in educational innovation projects, demonstrating strong organizational skills, initiative, and responsibility. In her professional practice, she prioritizes closeness, active listening, guidance, and placing the child at the center, offering children, families, and the educational community safe and meaningful spaces for growth. She currently works in a school with 2- and 3-year-old children, where project-based learning is implemented.

Dr. Karrera is an Associate Professor at the University of the Basque Country (EHU), Faculty of Education, Philosophy and Anthropology in Donostia-San Sebastián. He has over 20 years of experience in higher education and previously worked for four years as an educational advisor in compulsory education. His teaching focuses on diversity and special education in early childhood and primary education, and he also teaches in master's and postgraduate programs, including the Master's in Research in Socio-Educational Fields. He is a faculty member in the Doctoral Program “Psychodidactics: Educational Psychology and Specific Didactics,” where he has supervised four doctoral theses and is currently supervising three more. His research focuses on educational inclusion, social inequalities, and pedagogical innovation. He is principal investigator in international, national, and regional projects and a founding member and PI of the ALHE research group, Community of Practice in Education (EHU/GIU22/002). He has published in JCR, Scopus-, and SJR-indexed journals, as well as books and book chapters

Garazi Ormazabal is a postdoctoral researcher at the UPV/EHU (University of the Basque Country), in the Faculty of Education, Philosophy and Anthropology, within the Department of Didactics and School Organization. In the field of research, she is a member of the ALHE research group, where she actively participates in various projects. Among these, I-CIVIC, an international project funded by the European Union, stands out. In the area of educational innovation, her doctoral thesis focuses on Eskola Txikiak (rural schools in the Basque Country) organized through workshops. Specifically, she has analyzed the pedagogical keys that enable children to be at the center of the learning process. Her lines of interest include innovative learning experiences, childhood culture and empowerment, and research conducted with children.

Xabier Villanueva Izaguirre is a sixth-grade Primary Education teacher at the public school Muskizko Ikastola, located in Muskiz (Bizkaia). He currently serves as coordinator of the school’s Digitalization Committee and STEAM Committee. He holds a degree in Primary Education from the University of the Basque Country (EHU/UPV) and a degree in Psychology from the National University of Distance Education (UNED), with a specialization in Educational Psychology and Special Educational Needs. He also holds a PhD in Psychodidactics from the University of the Basque Country (EHU/UPV). His doctoral thesis, entitled “Understanding the Plant World between the Ages of 4 and 8 through the Analysis of Children’s Drawings, Dilemma Resolution, and the Concept of Life,” focused on early scientific understanding. In this field, he has published several scientific articles on the didactics of experimental sciences and mathematics education.

Steven Watson is Associate Professor of Transdisciplinary Studies in the Faculty of Education at the University of Cambridge and a Fellow of Wolfson College. His work sits at the intersection of systems theory, autopoiesis, cybernetics, and the societal integration of generative AI in education and knowledge work. He develops Autopoietic Ecology (AE) as a non-essentialist framework for understanding meaning-making, mediation, and institutional change under conditions of complexity. Steven’s research explores how disciplines, institutions, publics, and technologies translate—and often misrecognise—one another, and how more reflective, accountable forms of communication can be designed. Alongside theoretical development, he builds translational pathways through international research partnerships, cross-sector convening, and innovation initiatives. He is Founding Chair of the Cambridge Generative AI in Education Conference and has published widely on generative AI, education, and social systems theory in leading international journals. He has held visiting professorships in China and Croatia and currently contributes to EU-funded research on civic engagement and disinformation resilience.

Ander is a teacher at Elgoibarko Herri Eskola EHE and has more than 30 years of experience in education. For 20 years he has worked with Project-Based Learning (PBL). Throughout his career he has mainly been a tutor for students aged 10–12. Although he has taught all subjects, he has especially focused on teaching mathematics and science. He is also one of the founders of Hezkuntza Laborategia, an initiative that promotes educational innovation and collaboration among teachers.