Communities of Practice (CoP) is a social learning framework developed by Etienne Wenger and Jean Lave that describes how groups of people who share a concern or passion for something learn to do it better through regular interaction. The framework identifies three essential dimensions of a community of practice: a shared domain of interest, the community itself as a social structure for learning, and the shared practice — the body of knowledge, methods, and resources that members develop together. Originally grounded in studies of apprenticeship and situated learning, CoP has become a foundational concept in knowledge management, organizational learning, education, and professional development. It is particularly relevant in Education, Business, Social Sciences and Healthcare.

Communities of Practice supports community-based, co-creation and participatory collaboration and is suited for small teams, organizational settings and community-scale initiatives in in-person, remote and hybrid settings.

Communities of Practice is classified as a well-documented framework, indicating broad adoption and available documentation. Key concepts include Domain, Community, Practice, Legitimate peripheral participation.