Editorial History Page

This section lists past contributors.

Learning Communities — International Journal of Learning in Social Contexts has a long-standing history of publishing interdisciplinary scholarship concerned with learning, communities, culture, and the social contexts of education. Archived issues show that the journal was active from at least 2004, providing a platform for research on learning across cultural, community, professional, regional, and Indigenous settings.

The journal’s editorial leadership has evolved over time. Early issues included editorial contributions from Neville Grady, while Ruth Wallace became closely associated with the journal’s editorial development and later served as Editor. Stephen Hamilton also served as Editor during an earlier period. The journal has been strongly connected with Charles Darwin University and the Northern Institute, which supported its emphasis on socially situated, community-engaged, regional, and culturally responsive scholarship.

A distinctive feature of the journal’s history has been its use of guest and special-issue editors. Scholars including Michael Christie, Helen Verran, Jack Frawley, James A. Smith, Steve Larkin, Catherine Bow, Leonie Norrington, John Williams, Greg Shaw, and Jon Mason contributed editorial leadership to thematic issues. These special collections addressed subjects such as Indigenous pathways into higher education, narrative inquiry, community knowledge, multiple knowledge systems, professional learning, and regional and remote education.

The journal’s documented publication history extends through Volume 28, published in December 2023. Across its editorial development, Learning Communities — International Journal of Learning in Social Contexts has maintained a consistent commitment to understanding learning as a socially, culturally, and contextually situated process, while encouraging interdisciplinary, community-based, and internationally relevant scholarship.