Communities of practitioners: Diabetes educators learning through participation, identity and practice BackgroundLearning within communities of practice (CoP) emphasize strongly in the relational aspects and the CoP design is to bring out the communityu2019s own internal direction, character and energy. The Association of Diabetes Educators in Singapore (ADES) was formed by communities of diabetes nurse practitioners with similar interest aims to develop mission to improve the life of people with diabetes in the community.AimsThis paper aims to describe the development of CoP of diabetes educators through developing processes of participation, identity-construction and practice in the communities of practice through situated learning. MethodWe review and interpret participation is central to community of practice in diabetes educators require individual learning to identity the role as an educator and develop the knowing of mutual recognition of practices and collaborations in the community. Using three key components in CoP compromised of domains in determine common ground for sharing, creating social structure and the practice involves specific knowledge that is shared, and lastly developed and maintained by the community.Results 6 education events and minimum 4 community education outreach were conducted annually. A total of 4 educational training materials were developed include 2 tabletop flipcharts on SMBG and Injection technique; a CD rom and booklet on management of hypoglycemia and medication management; introduced training program facilitated by International Diabetes Federation on Diabetes Conversation Mapu00ae and Multidisciplinary Health Professional Education Program. Established ongoing affiliation and networking with various international and local diabetes association/societies and community partners over 19 years as communities of practitioners in diabetes education. ConclusionThe learning from individual practitioner or groups is inestimable in the context of learning. We suggest that further research is needed to identify meaningful educational activities created by CoP that benefited an individual, or groups and outcome of care to be study to reflect the range of possibilities of individual diabetes educator within and beyond communities of practice.