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1
Moulakdi, André, and Yamina Bouchamma. "Elementary Schools Working as Professional Learning Communities: Effects on Student Learning." International Education Studies 13, no. 6 (May 24, 2020): 1. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ies.v13n6p1.
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The professional learning community (PLC) is considered to be an effective school improvement strategy centered on student achievement. The goal of this study was to introduce the PLC approach in a few public elementary schools in Cameroon to evaluate the causal impact of this organizational model on student learning. A quasi-experimental approach was used involving an experimental group and a control group. Student pre- and post-tests were administered in two core subjects (French and mathematics) at both the beginning and the end of the first year of operation as a PLC. Our findings show a significant improvement in the students’ results between the pre- and post-test. The PLC was qualified as being in its initiation stage of development, when members focus on their students’ outcomes and collectively engage in solving the latter’s learning-related difficulties.
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Vanblaere, Bénédicte, and Geert Devos. "The Role of Departmental Leadership for Professional Learning Communities." Educational Administration Quarterly 54, no. 1 (June 28, 2017): 85–114. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0013161x17718023.
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Purpose: Department heads play a pivotal role in the functioning of departments in secondary schools. However, quantitative research about the role of departmental leadership for the development of professional learning communities (PLCs) in subject departments in secondary schools remains scarce. As PLCs are seen as promising contexts for teachers’ continuous professional development, it is highly relevant to study how department heads can facilitate PLC characteristics in their department. Research methodology: This study examines how two dimensions of departmental leadership (group- and development-oriented) relate to interpersonal PLC characteristics in departments. Survey data were collected from 248 experienced mathematics and French teachers in 62 departments in secondary schools in Flanders (Belgium). Two multilevel regression analyses were conducted with collective responsibility and reflective dialogue as dependent interpersonal PLC characteristics. We controlled for several demographic teacher variables and structural departmental variables. Findings: Our results nurture optimism about the potential of departmental leadership for interpersonal PLC characteristics. More specifically, teachers who perceive high group-oriented departmental leadership experience more collective responsibility in their department. Furthermore, teachers’ perceptions of both group-oriented and development-oriented departmental leadership are significantly related to the reported frequency of teachers’ reflective dialogues. Implications: This study suggests that department heads play a critical role in facilitating interpersonal PLC characteristics in departments. As a result, department heads need to be carefully selected and adequately supported. As this article is one of the first to offer a quantitative perspective on this matter, it offers an instrument for future studies and informs policy about departmental leadership practices.
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Wen, Qiufang, and Hong Zhang. "Building professional learning communities of foreign language teachers in higher education." Círculo de Lingüística Aplicada a la Comunicación 84 (December 2, 2020): 1–12. http://dx.doi.org/10.5209/clac.72815.
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In recent decades there has been increasing interest in identifying the critical features of effective professional learning communities (PLCs). This identification is useful for evaluating the quality of a PLC, but not for building one. This study aims at describing a conceptual model for developing a new PLC, illustrating its application with an example. The model is explained in terms of four constitutive elements (PARTICIPANTS, OBJECTIVES, MEDIATORS, and MECHANISM), and their interactive relations. The development of a PLC of foreign language teachers (PLC-FLTs) at Beijing Foreign Studies University is used to illustrate how the model can function successfully. The illustration is coupled with a discussion of the PLC’s decades of experience in collective leadership, management of the four elements, and tips for tackling various challenges in keeping the PLC going.
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Ho, Jeanne, Monica Ong, and Liang See Tan. "Leadership of professional learning communities in Singapore schools: The tight–loose balance." Educational Management Administration & Leadership 48, no. 4 (March 27, 2019): 635–50. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1741143219833698.
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Purpose This paper presents a study on how professional learning communities (PLC) are developed in an Asian setting, and the nature of leadership that helped to cultivate and sustain PLC in this setting. Research Method The study adopted a sequential mixed method, starting with a survey followed by qualitative case studies, involving focused group discussions (FGDs) and interviews. This paper focuses on findings derived from the qualitative data, triangulated with the survey data. Findings The study raises questions about common assumptions regarding PLC, and shares how Singapore’s unique cultural context mediates and filters Western notion of PLC and of leadership for PLC. The study suggests that leadership for PLC requires a centralised decentralisation approach, which provides clarity and alignment through strategic direction and supporting structures, while simultaneously enabling the distribution of leadership to teachers. The paper also explicates the tensions that arise due to the need to balance a tight–loose approach, and suggests how organisational and inquiry structures can both enable and constrain the distribution of leadership in a PLC. Implications Findings from the study has implications for policy makers and school leaders who are steering PLC initiatives.
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Coenen, Laurien, Wouter Schelfhout, and Annie Hondeghem. "Networked Professional Learning Communities as Means to Flemish Secondary School Leaders’ Professional Learning and Well-Being." Education Sciences 11, no. 9 (September 6, 2021): 509. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/educsci11090509.
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Whereas Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are a frequently applied professional learning tool in education, their use is often limited to an application among (a) teachers and (b) within-schools. This article contributes to the nascent research evidence on PLC usage for principal professional learning. As outcomes align with PLCs’ phased development, this article grasps the learning processes that unfold, the catalyst states that emerge and the overarching role that a process coach can adopt in this collective learning effort. Three distinct PLCs comprising of Flemish secondary school principals were systematically observed over the course of one to two years. In interviews and questionnaires, members (n = 14) reported on their experience with PLC activities, group dynamics and their personal professional well-being. Networked learning proved a worthwhile method as positive outcomes of PLC participation were predominantly found in a perceived augmentation of professional well-being and the acquisition of inspiration and ideas. Actual co-construction among principal participants appeared harder to establish as several organisational, group developmental and leadership prerequisites were found to apply. As this study was based on three in-depth case studies, it remains to be confirmed whether its conclusions apply to all school principals in Flanders and can be generalised to their counterparts internationally.
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Wood, Jo Nell, and Abdulmajeed K. Alshammari. "Implementation of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) (Differences Between Saudi Arabia and the USA)." Journal of Education in Black Sea Region 6, no. 2 (May 21, 2021): 112–22. http://dx.doi.org/10.31578/jebs.v6i2.236.
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Professional Learning Community (PLC) for teachers is one of the trending ways on improving students’ achievement. This article aims at investigating the implementation level of Professional Learning Community (PLC) in the schools of the United States of America and Saudi Arabia, as perceived by teachers. Also, the article evaluates whether there are significant differences on the implementation level based on country, gender, and years of experience. Participants of the study were public school teachers from both countries. To attain the purpose of the study, the descriptive approach was used. Using Means and Standard Deviation (SD), the findings reveal that the level of implementation of PLC in Saudi Arabia was higher compared to the USA. However, by using the T-test and ANOVA, it was revealed that there were no statistically significant differences in the implementation level based on country, gender, and years of experience. Recommendations and suggestions were provided for implementation improvement and future studies.
Keywords: Professional Learning Community (PLC), teachers’ professional development, school improvement
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Wan, Sally Wai-Yan. "Unpacking the Relationship Between Teachers’ Perceptions of Professional Learning Communities and Differentiated Instruction Practice." ECNU Review of Education 3, no. 4 (November 27, 2020): 694–714. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/2096531120969988.
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Purpose: This exploratory study investigates the relationship between teachers’ perceptions of professional learning communities (PLCs) and their differentiated instruction (DI) practice in a Hong Kong primary education context. Design/Approach/Methods: Three subsidized primary schools participated in the study. A total of 121 teachers completed surveys regarding their perceptions of PLC engagement and DI practice. Findings: Using principal component analysis, three dimensions of PLC engagement were identified: student learning, reflective dialogue, and shared and supportive leadership. Two distinctive PLC engagement profiles were generated based on cluster analysis: high PLC engagement and low PLC engagement. Teachers’ PLC engagement profiles were correlated with their DI practices. Originality/Value: The findings have implications for fostering teacher engagement in PLCs. Increased teacher participation in PLCs has great potential for promoting the use of DI.
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Avidov-Ungar, Orit. "Professional learning communities of teachers: Israeli principals’ perceptions." Journal of Educational Administration 57, no. 6 (November 4, 2019): 658–74. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/jea-10-2017-0126.
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PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to focus on professional learning communities (PLCs) run for and by teachers to achieve their ongoing professional development and greater pupil attainment. The paper examined principals’ perceptions of how such PLCs influence teachers, teacher learning and school processes, and their own involvement in PLCs operating in their schools.Design/methodology/approachIn-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 of 97 principals from three of the four educational districts participating in a pilot programme to achieve in-service teacher professional development through supported PLCs.FindingsMost of the participating principals considered PLCs to influence not only the teacher-leader, but also PLC members and other teaching staff and processes. Principals perceived PLCs as influencing pedagogical processes for both teachers and students, as well as staff leadership processes. Principals reported facilitating the operation of PLCs in their schools by providing the necessary conditions or participating in PLC meetings.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough nearly 20 per cent of principals involved in the pilot agreed to participate, it was not possible to ensure a representative sample. Self-selection bias cannot be ruled out. Most participants were interviewed individually, with a minority later interviewed as a group to obtain a deeper understanding. Thus, the research should be regarded as exploratory.Originality/valueThe study provides a detailed description of how principals perceive and engage with PLCs. Its findings are relevant to international efforts to understand and leverage teacher PLCs for the purposes of teachers’ professional development and pupil attainment.
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Suwalska, Arleta. "Professional Learning Communities in the Contemporary Basic Education in Finland." Yearbook of Pedagogy 43, no. 1 (December 1, 2020): 81–94. http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/rp-2020-0005.
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Summary In the article I will pay attention to schools as Professional Learning Communities which include: shared values and vision of education, collective responsibility, reflective professional inquiry, collaboration and group, as well as individual, learning. I also analyze trust and respect, closely related to PLC in contemporary Finnish education.
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Benoliel, Pascale, and Chen Schechter. "Is it personal? Teacher’s personality and the principal’s role in professional learning communities." Improving Schools 20, no. 3 (April 21, 2017): 222–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1365480217703725.
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Research results have provided evidence of the potential contribution that professional learning communities (PLCs) can make to enhance school outcomes. While numerous organizational and cultural aspects of schools have been recognized as key requirements for PLC success, researchers have noted that a teacher’s ability to share knowledge in the context of school learning interactions requires certain skills. Our goal is to extend the theoretical understanding and practical implications of individual factors that may support and/or constrain PLC development. Specifically, we discuss teachers’ personality traits from the big five typology, namely, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness to experience, as a possible explanation for differences in motivation toward social interactions, knowledge sharing, and the general position of the individual teacher in the PLC network. We also address the principal’s role in promoting the process of knowledge sharing and social relationships in PLCs. Practical implications for school members and principals are suggested.
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Dehdary, Nazanin. "A Look into a Professional Learning Community." Journal of Language Teaching and Research 8, no. 4 (July 1, 2017): 645. http://dx.doi.org/10.17507/jltr.0804.02.
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Professional learning communities are not commonplace in Iran and this is evidenced by the scant literature in this regard. The present study is an attempt to fill the gap in the literature. This study was conducted in the hope of evaluating a professional learning community within an English language institute in Iran to detect the threats to its survival from the viewpoints of some of the teachers and members of the board of studies. The analysis of the data uncovered three major strengths the current PLC enjoys. These plus points are the dynamic work context, management policy, and a nexus of focus communities. There is, however, a consensus among participants that in recent years many teachers have detached themselves from different communities within the institute. The analysis of the data revealed sense of belonging, teacher’s view of the profession, infrastructure and flawed dialogue as the major threats.
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Abu Hassan, Mohd Aizat, Kamarudin Musa, Zahari Hashim, and Nurul Fadly Habidin. "IMPLEMENTATION OF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY AMONG TEACHERS IN MALAYSIA." International Journal of Education, Psychology and Counseling 5, no. 34 (March 15, 2020): 137–46. http://dx.doi.org/10.35631/ijepc.5340011.
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This study conducted to identify the level of implementation of the Professional Learning Community (PLC) among teachers in Malaysia. Respondents of the study consisted of 419 randomly selected school teachers. Overall, the professional learning community among teachers in Malaysia is still at a moderate level. This finding will help the relevant parties to find solutions to help improve the level of implementation of Professional Learning Communities among teachers in Malaysia.
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Nowosad, Inetta. "Professional Learning Community (PLC) in Singapore (Potential and Limitations in Shaping High-Quality Education)." Yearbook of Pedagogy 43, no. 1 (December 1, 2020): 63–79. http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/rp-2020-0004.
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Summary The aim of this article is to recognise the Professional Learning Communities (PLC) model adopted in 2009 in Singapore as a national mode. The explicit use of the term of PLC together with related terms makes it possible to understand an educational policy which is focused on the implementation of concepts developed in a different, foreign context. The orientation adopted in Singapore identifies PLC not only as reinforcing incentives for teachers and their professionalism, but more broadly, as reinforcing the already high-quality education. The arguments and evidence presented in this article are mainly based on literature and research review, as well as on analyses of source documents.
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Qiao, Xuefeng, Shulin Yu, and Limin Zhang. "A review of research on professional learning communities in mainland China (2006–2015)." Educational Management Administration & Leadership 46, no. 5 (May 11, 2017): 713–28. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1741143217707523.
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In the last decade, there has been growing interest in professional learning communities (PLCs) outside mainstream Western contexts. In this paper, we provide a narrative synthesis of empirical studies of PLCs in kindergarten to 12th grade educational systems in mainland China published between 2006 and 2015. The review reveals five major emerging themes in the published literature: PLC characteristics; PLC practices in different regions; teacher collaboration in PLCs; the roles of university researchers; and educational leadership in PLCs. Significant progress has been identified in the enhancement of social harmony in teaching research groups, structural teacher collaboration, the construction of transregional PLCs and the complex roles of university researchers and school leaders. However, compared with the literature on PLCs in Western contexts, research on these communities in mainland China is still far from mature. The authors highlight the need for more empirically solid research on the development of sustainable PLCs in mainland China.
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Vajarintarangoon, Kovit, Phaophongphat Bunkanan, Sittichai Deelon, Sripen Poldech, and Kittiwat Thauyngam. "The Development Process PLC Competencies for School Administrators in Buriram Province." International Education Studies 12, no. 6 (May 29, 2019): 148. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ies.v12n6p148.
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The purposes of the research study were to a) study the current situation of school management and administration using professional learning community b) to develop professional learning community for the school administrators and c) follow up collaborative practice among school colleagues and administrators within school using professional learning community in Buriram Province. The researcher utilized focused interview sessions, group interview questionnaires, and Professional Learning observation within school to determine how the school colleagues perceived the implementation of professional learning communities. The results indicated that: 1) A school’s PLC isn’t working, common problems in Buriram Province include: a) Personal practice, b) Insufficient collaborative work, 3) Academics support, and 4) supportive conditions. 2) School administrators' competencies development after implementation of PLC workshop have an influence on process of using PLC in school. School administrators' competencies included supportive conditions for safe environment of PLC, creating environment that support learning collaboratively and respect for individual differences and developing collegial relationships for planning, following up of supervision process through action planning that support collaborative work among school colleagues. 3) Model of school administrators' competencies development in Buriram Province were a) a PDCA model incorporated with contemplative education that driven through small group of PLCs. This model utilized school administrators as coach and mentor to reflect on co-operation of group problem solving in the same group c) a PLC comprised of school teachers, coming together by grade level, content area, or through an interdisciplinary group. The purpose of a PLC was to build a community of teachers to focus on a common goal or objective collaboratively.
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Jones, Christopher M., and Rebecca A. Thessin. "Sustaining Continuous Improvement through Professional Learning Communities in a Secondary School." Journal of School Leadership 27, no. 2 (March 2017): 214–41. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/105268461702700203.
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This study sought to discover how one high school principal sustains a context for continued improvement through PLCs using case study methodology. Schools comprised of PLCs allow educators to grapple with the unique needs of their students in their specific contexts. The problem is that there is limited literature and research to indicate how leaders sustain PLCs over time. Therefore, the overarching research question of this study was: How do the principal, PLC leaders, and teachers in a school that has developed and implemented PLCs describe their experience of the change process to sustain the work of continuous improvement?
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Trilaksono, Teddy, Ambara Purusottama, Ifa Hanifah Misbach, and Irfan Hary Prasetya. "Leadership change design: a professional learning community (PLC) project in eastern Indonesia." International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education (IJERE) 8, no. 1 (March 1, 2019): 47. http://dx.doi.org/10.11591/ijere.v8i1.15662.
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<span>A professional learning community (PLC) is a long-term sustainable program that can replace professional development (PD) to enable teachers to become teacher leaders and school principals to become instructional leaders. Using a case study from the establishment of the PLC project in 10 schools of Eastern Indonesia (Saparua island, Maluku), this research develops a progressive leadership change model through an ADDIE instructional design that changes school leadership. The research aims to investigate how to identify the most effective leadership change model by exploring differrent forms of learning communities between school principals and teachers. Using an action research approach to solve the problem, the data were collected over a 10-month period when the PLC project activities took place and embedded them as empirical materials that complement each other. The findings show that the leadership change design through PLC runs effectively if value alignment occurs between school principals and teachers after the open environment is established. The data also highlight that aligned values must be embedded as school identities, whereas a school principal must act as a change leader in order to ensure that these changes are sustainable. This study concludes by proposing policy recommendations for policy makers and education stakeholders on how to develop PD and PLC in <br /> Indonesian schools.</span>
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Abdallah, Rami, Rawhi Mraweh Abdat, and Christopher Hill. "Extent of Implementing the Characteristics of Professional Learning Communities at the UAE Special Education Centers." International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research 20, no. 4 (April 30, 2021): 265–83. http://dx.doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.20.4.14.
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Professional learning communities (PLCs) are formed on the basis of the perception that collaboration among educators is an essential factor to improve and develop the learning environment and students’ outcomes (Hord, 1997; DuFour, 2004). Accordingly, the purpose of this study is twofold: First, we investigated the extent of practicing the characteristics of PLCs at special education (SE) centers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Second, we determined whether the PLC skills among SE educators vary on the basis of the type of educator, educational level, years of experience, and students’ disability. We collected our data using Google Forms and with a pre-existing and tested questionnaire (Abdallah, 2021). After collecting filled-out forms from (151) educators, we conducted descriptive analysis and inferential statistics, including Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis tests. Our results revealed that educators working with students with disabilities in SE centers have a high level of PLC skills in all domains. Educators’ educational level, years of experience, and students’ disabilities create significant differences in the practice of the PLC characteristics in SE centers. However, the type of educator has no significant difference in implementing these characteristics. Overall, this study can serve as a basis for further research on PLCs within the SE field and addresses the lack of knowledge of this topic. We conclude the effectiveness and readiness of PLCs as a new approach to handling and teaching students with disabilities in the UAE context.
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Ginanto, Dion Efrijum. "Increasing Global Awareness through Professional Learning Community: A Study from LATTICE." International Journal of Language Teaching and Education 2, no. 2 (July 31, 2018): 71–86. http://dx.doi.org/10.22437/ijolte.v2i2.4965.
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Using three components of PLCs by DuFour (2004), I explored the learning communities at LATTICE (Linking All Types of Teachers to International, Cross-cultural Education). DuFour (2004) argued that PLCs is a form of learning communities held at the school level to improve the school quality. It means PLCs happen in the school context. However, Easton (2011) contended that learning community could happen inside or outside schools. This paper intends to analyze a learning community at LATTICE in creating more global perspective teachers. The study found that PLC s can also occur outside schools by including participants other than teachers. Based on the interviews and observations analysis, this study found that LATTICE did reflect PLCs and significantly helped K-12 educators foster their global understanding.
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Keijzer, Helma De, Gaby Jacobs, Jacqueline Van Swet, and Wiel Veugelers. "Identifying coaching approaches that enable teachers' moral learning in professional learning communities." International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education 9, no. 4 (July 27, 2020): 375–92. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/ijmce-11-2019-0104.
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PurposeThis study sought to identify those approaches used by coaches that enable teachers' moral learning in professional learning communities (PLCs). Coaches who support moral learning focus on questioning values, beliefs and bias, which is in contrast with learning only (new) knowledge or skills.Design/methodology/approachThis was an exploratory case study. Eleven meetings of three PLCs were observed; each PLC consisted of four teachers and one teacher–coach. Semi-structured interviews with the coaches were conducted to gain information about their approaches. Data were analysed using supportive coaching approaches derived from educational literature.FindingsIn total, 14 specific approaches regarding the support given by coaches for teachers' moral learning were identified. Four characteristics of coaches' attitudes that guided their approaches and seemed valuable in supporting moral learning were also identified. The findings showed the tensions the coaches encountered – for example, when balancing between offering a safe environment and encouraging critical reflection.Practical implicationsWith coaches' support, teachers can develop a more thoughtful understanding of the meaning of values, beliefs and bias for their actions in teaching practice.Social implicationsMaking explicit, and exploring precisely, what coaches do to support teachers' moral learning are useful for designing and improving professional development programmes that promote moral learning.Originality/valueThe research reported in this paper outlines how coaches can encourage teachers' awareness of the impact of their actions on pupils, which, in turn, helps teachers to meet the complex moral challenges of their practice.
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Ahn, Joonkil. "Taking a Step to Identify How to Create Professional Learning Communities—Report of a Case Study of a Korean Public High School on How to Create and Sustain a School-based Teacher Professional Learning Community." International Education Studies 10, no. 1 (December 26, 2016): 82. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ies.v10n1p82.
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This study intends to identify some key factors in creating and sustaining school-based teacher professional learning communities (PLCs) through a case study of a South Korean public high school. To achieve this, the study identified some essential infrastructure, preparation, and necessary social organization for creating PLCs. The ideal unit and the encouraging/discouraging factors in the implementation process were also investigated. Data were gathered via classroom observations and by analysis of interview transcripts, questionnaire responses, and minutes from PLC meetings. Nineteen participants, including 16 teachers, a principal, an assistant principal, and a facilitator from a city department of education, who assisted the school reform process, completed the questionnaires. Three of the teachers who took the reform initiative participated in the in-depth interview. The study provides a detailed description of the school context before the PLC implementation, challenges that faced the teachers, and two main characteristics of their PLC initiative. The study indicates that participants perceived prepared teacher leaders, building trust and respect among faculty, and securing time for classroom observation and PLC meetings as the most necessary preparation in creating and implementing their PLC. Empowering grade level chairs, increasing teacher proximity, and employing additional administrative assistants were identified as effective administrative support. Participants recognized that each grade level had more advantage in implementing PLCs and thought positive changes of disruptive students and their own instructional practices were the most encouraging factors in overcoming implementation problems. Authoritative leadership of school administration and a city DOE that forcefully mandates PLCs were perceived as discouraging factors in PLC implementation.
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Carpenter, Daniel. "Collaborative inquiry and the shared workspace of professional learning communities." International Journal of Educational Management 31, no. 7 (September 11, 2017): 1069–91. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/ijem-10-2015-0143.
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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore educator collaborative inquiry in the shared workspace in professional learning communities (PLCs). Specifically, this investigation was part of an ongoing investigation of well-established PLC collaborative interactions and self-directed learning of educators as part of the shared workspace as a component of school improvement. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative design was used for this investigation. Participants were purposefully selected to provide qualitative data on existent, well-established PLCs and their practice as educators in the shared workspace. Qualitative data were collected about participant perception. Data were collected from each participant by conducting semi-structured interviews, observations, and the collection of document and artifacts. Findings Findings from this ongoing investigation point to positive collaborative physical interactions and intellectual discourse that lead to educator learning through the collaborative inquiry process. Originality/value Theories on PLCs and educator job-embedded professional learning are unique in this paper. The concepts of PLCs and the collaborative inquiry process have been well developed but not in the context of the shared workspace. Recent literature on effective collaborative inquiry educators undergo in PLCs as a continuing professional development model provides a foundation for the work done in this ongoing case study. Sustained collaboration and continued professional development of teaching innovations as a product of the collaborative inquiry process in the shared workspace are underdeveloped as yet but further developed in this paper.
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Voelkel, Robert H., and Janet H. Chrispeels. "Within-School Differences in Professional Learning Community Effectiveness: Implications for Leadership." Journal of School Leadership 27, no. 3 (May 2017): 424–51. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/105268461702700305.
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Research suggests effective professional learning communities (PLCs) enhance teacher collaboration and student achievement. Within-school variation in PLC processes, however, is underexplored. This study highlights differences in teacher behavior and teams’ perceptions of principal leadership in well-functioning teams versus less well-functioning ones. Analysis of interviews of principals and team members showed teams differed in intensity of analysis of student work and the level of changes in instructional practices. High-functioning teams felt supported by the principal while the less well-functioning teams did not. These findings suggest the need for more active principal facilitation of PLCs to achieve full benefits.
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Soares, Fernanda, Kirsten Galisson, and Mindel Van de Laar. "A Typology of Professional Learning Communities (PLC) for Sub-Saharan Africa: A Case study of Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, and Nigeria." African Journal of Teacher Education 9, no. 2 (November 3, 2020): 110–43. http://dx.doi.org/10.21083/ajote.v9i2.6271.
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In the bid to improve teaching quality and promote an approach to teacher development that is grounded in the context in which teachers are inserted, Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) have become a popular alternative model of teacher professional development in many countries. PLCs, however, have been more widely studied in high-resource contexts. In a recognition that existing conceptualizations from the Western literature may not reflect how PLCs are functioning in developing countries, this research aims to inductively create a typology of PLCs that incorporates elements that might be specific to these countries, with a focus on Sub-Saharan Africa in general and based on the cases of Equatorial Guinea, Ghana and Nigeria in particular. This study employs a multimethod approach, encompassing document analysis, semi-structured interviews with PLC experts and expert validation. The resulting typology categorizes PLCs into three models - autonomous, structured and scripted. This typology of PLCs is further integrated with dimensions previously proposed by the Western literature to form one cohesive conceptual framework. By acknowledging PLC variability, we are able to incorporate into a framework modes of PLC operation that are specific to our case countries, and possibly to Sub-Saharan African and low- and middle-income countries more generally.
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Hardman, Elizabeth. "How Pedagogy 2.0 Can Foster Teacher Preparation and Community Building in Special Education." Social Inclusion 3, no. 6 (December 28, 2015): 42–55. http://dx.doi.org/10.17645/si.v3i6.415.
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This paper describes how one teacher educator used action research methodology to investigate the feasibility of using Web 2.0 technology to build a virtual professional learning community (PLC) in special education to support the preparation of highly qualified special education teachers. Study participants included 218 pre-service and in-service teachers who joined the virtual PLC over a four-year period. Data were collected using two Web 2.0 tools, wiki and Ning, and analyzed to evaluate the degree to which the virtual community met the essential characteristics of a PLC. The results showed that 200 of the 218 graduate students who joined the PLC as graduate students continued their membership after graduation but participated in community work as observers only, rarely if ever contributing anything to community growth and development. The implication of the results are discussed with respect to the importance of preparing teachers for service in today’s modern 21st Century academically diverse, inclusive learning communities.
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Al-Otaibi, Sa’ad Mohammed, and Saleh Ebrahim Alnafesah. "The obstacles of the performance of professional learning communities (plc)from the point of view of science teachers in afif." International Journal of research in Educational Sciences 4, no. 3 (June 15, 2021): 376–405. http://dx.doi.org/10.29009/ijres.4.3.9.
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This study aimed to identify the obstacles of the performance of professional learning communities (PLC)from the point of view of science teachers in Afif Governorate in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. to answer the study questions, the researchers used the descriptive analytical approach, by developing a questionnaire consisting of two main topics: performance obstacles related to the personal aspects of the teacher, and performance obstacles related to school environment. The sample consisted of 95 science teachers in primary, middle and secondary schools. The sample size was 53.98% of the research society. The results indicated a number of performance obstacles from the point of view of science teachers. Among the most important performance obstacles related to the personal aspects of the teacher is the large number of teaching and administrative responsibilities that reduce the opportunities for cooperative work among teachers. Another obstacle in this topic is that less attention in the professional development programs is given to PLC. As for the obstacles related to the school environment, the most important of which is the school’s lack of an educational environment that supports PLC. The intensity of students numbers in the classroom which reduces the chances of the teacher reflection on teaching practices. The results also showed that there are no statistically significant differences credited to the variable of the grade (primary - intermediate - secondary) (α = 0.05).While statistically significant differences occurred related to the number of years of experience, in favor of more experienced science teachers (α=0.05(.
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Czerwonogora, Ada, and Virginia Rodés. "PRAXIS: Open Educational Practices and Open Science to face the challenges of critical Educational Action Research." Open Praxis 11, no. 4 (December 31, 2019): 381. http://dx.doi.org/10.5944/openpraxis.11.4.1024.
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The paper presents the findings from PRAXIS, an educational action research project developed within academic professional learning communities (PLC) in the context of public higher education in Uruguay. As a strategy towards fostering teaching innovation, we explored the potential and benefits of academic PLC for the reflection and transformation of teaching practices, and the integration of digital technologies in a meaningful way into teaching. The approach was based on Open Science (OS) and Open Educational Practices (OEP) as foundational frameworks to face the challenges of critical Educational Action Research. Key findings of the project emphasise the impact of PRAXIS framework combining OEP, OS, and academic PLC, as well as collaborative and participatory technologies for the transformation of teaching and educational research practices.
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Botha, E. M. "Turning the tide: creating Professional Learning Communities (PLC) to improve teaching practice and learning in South African public schools." Africa Education Review 9, no. 2 (July 2012): 395–411. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/18146627.2012.722405.
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Goldschagg, Paul, and Di Wilmot. "Exploring the role of a Google Group in enabling lesson resource sharing in a South African geography teachers’ professional learning community." Journal of Geography Education in Africa 3, no. 1 (October 30, 2020): 51–62. http://dx.doi.org/10.46622/jogea.v3i.2546.
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This article presents the findings of the initial phase of an ongoing exploratory study that responds to a national imperative, to create teacher-initiated professional learning communities (PLCs), to improve the professionalism and capabilities of South African teachers. The overarching goal of the study is to understand how an emergent PLC in the form of an online Google Group for South African geography educators may enhance geography education and teacher professional development. The contributions made to the Southern African Geography Teachers Network Google Group over a six-month period were analysed and categorized according to themes and topics in the Grade 10, 11 and 12 Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) curriculum. The findings, in shedding as they do, light on the curriculum sections receiving the most and least contributions, raise more questions than they provide answers. Areas requiring further research are identified. Our main contention is that the emergent PLC enabled through the Google Group offers exciting possibilities for teacher professional learning. As a bottom-up, online, easily accessible initiative, unrestricted by time or place constraints and with a growing membership, it may play an important role in enhancing the quality of teaching and learning in South African school geography.
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Durr, Tony, Jennifer Kampmann, Patrick Hales, and Larry Browning. "Lessons Learned from Online PLCs of Rural STEM Teachers." Rural Educator 41, no. 1 (April 8, 2020): 20–26. http://dx.doi.org/10.35608/ruraled.v41i1.555.
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This exploratory study of a Title II grant funded project analyzed the design and delivery of online professional learning communities (PLC) for rural STEM teachers. This research identified the frequency a video posting, the type of videos posted, and the style of reflection questions, as critical aspects to the engagement to participating teachers. Additionally, teachers showed an increase in teacher efficacy as a result of being part of the online PLCs and they indicated strong enjoyment and value in participation of the program.
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Zhang, Jia, Rui Yuan, and Shulin Yu. "What impedes the development of professional learning communities in China? Perceptions from leaders and frontline teachers in three schools in Shanghai." Educational Management Administration & Leadership 45, no. 2 (July 8, 2016): 219–37. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1741143215617945.
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Using qualitative data collected from three high schools in Shanghai, this study explored the barriers to the development of professional learning communities (PLCs) in Chinese schools from the perspectives of school leaders and teachers. Results indicate that the barriers identified by teachers in the development of PLCs include insufficient collaborative time, ineffective school leadership, unfavourable accountability policy, and lack of collaborative professional culture. By contrast, school leaders regard the absence of financial power, passive teachers, an unfavourable accountability system, and shortage of external resources as the major impediments to PLCs. Moreover, both similarities and differences are observed in the perceptions of teachers and school leaders regarding the barriers to PLC development. Practical implications for the effective implementation of PLCs and suggestions for future research are also presented.
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Al-Mahdy, Yasser F., Aisha S. Al-Harthi, and Badria A. Al-Rawhia. "Availability of Professional Learning Community and the Leadership Practices that Support it in Governmental Schools in Egypt and the Sultanate of Oman." Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies [JEPS] 10, no. 2 (March 1, 2016): 271. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jeps.vol10iss2pp271-289.
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The purpose of this study was to identify the availability of the dimensions of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and the leadership practices that support them in government schools. It also investigated the differences in the previous areas across nationality (Egyptian/ Omani), and gender (male / female). The study sample consisted of 1235 teachers 509 from Egypt and 726 from Oman. The scale developed by Olivier, Hipp and Huffman (2010) was used to measure PLC dimensions, and Pohl (2012) classification was used to identify school leadership practices that support PLCs in schools. This classification is aligned with school leadership standards. The overall sample rated highly both the availability of PLC dimensions and the leadership practices that support them. The study found significant differences due to nationality in favor of the Omani sample, and due to gender in favor of females. The study concludes with some mechanisms recommended to improve PLCs and school leadership to support them in government schools.
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Fred, Huijboom, Van Meeuwen Pierre, Rusman Ellen, and Vermeulen Marjan. "How to enhance teachers’ professional learning by stimulating the development of professional learning communities: operationalising a comprehensive PLC concept for assessing its development in everyday educational practice." Professional Development in Education 46, no. 5 (June 26, 2019): 751–69. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2019.1634630.
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Carpenter, Daniel. "Intellectual and physical shared workspace." International Journal of Educational Management 32, no. 1 (January 8, 2018): 121–40. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/ijem-05-2017-0104.
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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore shared workspace and professional learning community (PLC) interactions in schools. The collaborative culture and PLCs were parts of the school culture. The collaborative culture of each school was designed to ensure teachers share intellectual and physical contributions in learning to investigate the impact of teaching and learning on students. The workspace overlap for teachers was part of the culture of each school and a function of the PLC interactions. PLCs provided opportunities for collaboration and therefore opportunities to share intellectual and physical workspace. Design/methodology/approach A grounded theory research approach was taken to this investigation, primarily because of the common experiences of educators in schools (Creswell, 2013). Collaborative process between educators in schools was qualitatively investigated as a function of PLC interactions. In all, three communities, five schools, and 70 educators were purposefully selected to participate. Data were collected, including semi-structured interviews, observations, artifacts, and researcher field notes. Findings The workspace interactions include shared leadership, decision making, teaching and learning practice, and accountability measures. Attributes and characteristics of effective collaboration and PLCs greatly affect the outcomes of PLCs. An emergent framework is provided that includes attributes of effective collaboration and the characteristics of effective PLCs that merge into intellectual and physical shared workspace. Originality/value This paper focuses on the connections between PLCs, school culture, and professional educator collaboration. This paper proposes to provide a unique model called the shared workspace. The model combines the intellectual and physical aspects of group members to ensure the effectiveness of collaborative systems that promote quality practice in schools through functional PLCs as part of a positive school culture. This paper further offers extensions to the shared leadership concept (Carpenter, 2015) in how schools, administrators, and teachers should work together, thus more collaboratively through a continuous improvement process of the school as a workplace and a learning organization.
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BAUTISTA, Alfredo, Joanne WONG, and Saravanan GOPINATHAN. "Teacher Professional Development in Singapore: Depicting the Landscape." Psychology, Society, & Education 7, no. 3 (April 30, 2015): 311. http://dx.doi.org/10.25115/psye.v7i3.523.
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ABTRACT: This article depicts the landscape of teacher professional development (PD) in Singapore, one of the world’s top-performing countries in education. We provide an overview of the resources available to the approximately 30,000 teachers within the 350 primary and secondary schools run by the Ministry of Education (MOE). We focus on the three main PD providers: the National Institute of Education, the Academy of Singapore Teachers and six Centers of Excellence, and schools themselves. Guided by the “Teacher Growth Model,” these providers aim at making PD coherent with teachers’ interests, the needs of schools, and the national curriculum. Teachers in Singapore are given the exceptionally high allotment of 100 voluntary hours of PD per year. There are multiple types of activities teachers can engage in, ranging from formal/structured courses and programs to more informal/reform-based initiatives (action research, lesson study). Teachers with different levels of expertise and career paths have access to different PD opportunities. Most PD is subject-specific and provides teachers with opportunities for networked learning, collegial sharing, and collaboration. In fact, all MOE schools have been recently mandated to become Professional Learning Communities (PLC). We conclude that this comprehensive set of PD resources, considered as a whole, presents the features of “high-quality” PD described in the international literature. However, we suggest that more research is needed to examine the extent to which such an ambitious PD model is enhancing teachers’ knowledge and pedagogies, and ultimately students’ learning.
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Sidi Ahmad, Noor Diyana Binti, and Jamalul Lail Bin Abdul Wahab. "Hubungan Antara Kepimpinan Instruksional Pengetua dengan Amalan Komuniti Pembelajaran Profesional Guru di Sekolah Menengah." Malaysian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities (MJSSH) 6, no. 2 (February 7, 2021): 152–66. http://dx.doi.org/10.47405/mjssh.v6i2.658.
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Kajian ini dijalankan untuk melihat hubungan antara amalan kepimpinan instruksional pengetua dengan amalan komuniti pembelajaran profesional (PLC) guru di sekolah menengah di daerah Subis, sebuah daerah di luar bandar Sarawak. Ini selari dengan anjakan transformasi empat dan lima yang telah digariskan Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia (KPM) dalam Pelan Pembangunan Pendidikan Malaysia 2013 – 2025 (PPPM). Kajian ini menggunakan soal selidik yang diadaptasi dan disesuaikan mengikut konteks pendidikan di Malaysia berdasarkan instrumen Principal Instruction Management Rating Scale (PIMRS) dan School Professional Staff as Learning Communities Questionnaire (SPSLCQ) yang telah diedarkan kepada 173 orang guru di lima buah sekolah menengah di daerah Subis. Analisis data dijalankan menggunakan kaedah analisis statistik deskriptif (kekerapan dan min) dan inferensi (korelasi Pearson). Dapatan kajian menunjukkan tahap amalan kepimpinan instruksional pengetua berada pada tahap sederhana tinggi dan tahap amalan PLC guru juga berada pada tahap sederhana tinggi. Seterusnya, hubungan antara amalan kepimpinan instruksional pengetua dengan amalan PLC guru di sekolah menengah di daerah Subis mempunyai korelasi yang signifikan pada tahap positif yang sangat lemah. Dapatan kajian ini menunjukkan tiada perbezaan tahap amalan kedua-dua pemboleh ubah di bandar atau luar bandar. Selain itu juga, diharapkan dapatan kajian ini dapat memacu perubahan pendidikan negara daripada aspek latihan kepengetuaan dan menambah baik peranan pejabat pendidikan daerah (PPD) dan jabatan pendidikan negeri (JPN) serta meningkatkan amalan kepimpinan instruksional pengetua.
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Bradshaw, Lynn K. "“Let’s Talk About Professional Learning Communities (PLC): Getting Started”—Collaboration by Richard DuFour, Robert Eaker, and Rebecca DuFour with special guest Dennis Sparks." Journal of School Public Relations 24, no. 4 (October 1, 2003): 319–21. http://dx.doi.org/10.3138/jspr.24.4.319.
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Tiong, Ngee Derk. "The Weight of Our Words: Language and Teacher Agency from the Perspective of Gee’s ‘Cultural Models’." English Teacher 50, no. 2 (August 1, 2021): 116–29. http://dx.doi.org/10.52696/bcgt8886.
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In this article, I suggest that one way to enhance teacher agency is to practise greater linguistic awareness in our professional conversations. Based on a conceptual framework utilising the idea of ‘cultural models’ (everyday theories expressed in language) I analyse primary data of Malaysian English-language teachers’ meetings to show two ways in which they have an impact on practice and agency. Based on the evidence, I claim that cultural models [1] function as problem-framing devices and [2] can support transformations in practice. The data in this paper comes from audiovisual recordings of teacher meetings, generated as part of a larger study on teacher collaborative discourse in professional learning communities (PLC), with English-language teachers at Malaysian national secondary schools. Based on these findings, I argue that teacher agency defined as the capacity to make a difference in the context of teachers’ work—is partly a function of how teachers speak about the relevant domains of their practice, be they students, subject or pedagogy. This offers practitioners who wish to be more agentic in their practice some relevant points for reflection.
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Ikeda, Cathy Kanoelani, Stephanie Hauki Kamai, and Michael Thomas Hayes. "Kuahuokalā: Reflections on Space and Ttransformative Education Conversations." Ethnographic Edge 3 (December 4, 2019): 29. http://dx.doi.org/10.15663/tee.v3i1.45.
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How can a place transform a conversation? In this paper the authors discuss how meeting to develop a professional learning community in a hale, a traditional native Hawaiian building, changed the course and direction of the learning community. Too often, departments and divisions of higher education are driven by external standards imposed by state and national accrediting and licensing agencies. The conceptions of education and the way it is implemented then is more focused on meeting the standard rather than coming to a deeper understanding of what can be accomplished for our communities in the name of education and how it can be achieved. Our PLC is intended to address this shortcoming by creating space of sharing, conversation and communal action. What emerged from our work within our relationship to the hale was an expression of the values, commitments and ideals that emerged through the context of our developing relationship. With a political desire for voice, we built a community that found meaning in the process of building something greater than ourselves, yet fundamentally immersed in our everyday lives.
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Mejang, Areerug, and Wannaprapha Suksawas. "The Impacts of a Face-to-Face Training in Combination with LINE Application and Professional Learning Communities on English Teacher Development." English Language Teaching 14, no. 4 (March 15, 2021): 25. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/elt.v14n4p25.
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This study examines the impact of a teacher-training program on the development of teachers’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes towards English reading teaching. The training program was implemented in combination with the use of LINE (a message application) and the teachers’ participation in school-based professional learning communities. The framework supports the training of English teachers to teach students in accordance with the national core curriculum and its emphasis on reading skills. The participants of this study were 50 English teachers working in the central part of Thailand. Four research instruments were used to collect data: a 12-item pre-test and post-test on teaching English reading skills covering the content of the training, an open-ended form for recording emerging points from the implementation of the lesson plan and preparation of the video clip, a survey including 5-point Likert-scale options and an open-ended response field to assess teachers’ satisfaction with the training program, and an observation form of the teachers’ level of participation in the training program. The findings of this study revealed that participants had developed in three major areas: knowledge, skills, and attitude, and they indicated satisfaction with the training program in all areas. The participants’ post test scores was higher than the pre-test scores. With a statistical significance improvement (p=0.05). Participants demonstrated their skills in designing more creative lesson plans with suitable educational objectives. Finally, the participants reflected a positive attitude towards their participation in the PLC. The significance of this study is related to the theoretical and pedagogical implications of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of teachers teaching English reading skills in an EFL context.
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Mumhure, Godwin, Loyiso C. Jita, and Godsend T. Chimbi. "SUBJECT PANELS AS SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION FOR TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT." Problems of Education in the 21st Century 78, no. 5 (October 5, 2020): 799–814. http://dx.doi.org/10.33225/pec/20.78.799.
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For centuries, teacher professional development has largely been done by external experts who advise teachers on how to improve classroom practice and learner performance. This research explores a relatively unchartered idea of history subject panels/clusters as an innovation meant to break away from orthodox teacher professional development spearheaded by external experts. The research adopts a qualitative case study design. One history subject panel was case studied to examine how teachers initiated and sustained improvements in classroom practice and learner performance. Eight history teachers, who were active participants in the panel, were purposively sampled out of 25 teachers who constituted the history subject panel. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews, document analysis and focus group discussion. Symbolic interactionism was used as the theoretical lens to gain deeper insights into how teachers socialised and shared ideas in the subject panel. Results indicated that the history subject panel was involved in the induction of new history teachers into the profession and the creation of learning communities for history students; practices hitherto undocumented in existing literature on subject panels and teacher networks. Results also showed that the activities of the history subject panel improved teachers’ classroom practice. The implications of this research are that teacher-led subject panels need to be nurtured and supported so that teacher-driven continuous professional development can be enacted across all the subjects offered in the school curriculum. Subject panels can reduce schools’ dependency on external experts for teacher professional development, making teachers the proverbial doctors who can heal themselves. Keywords: history subject panels/clusters, qualitative case study, teacher induction, student learning communities, sustainable innovation, teacher professional development
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Mountford, Meredith. "“Let’s Talk About Professional Learning Communities (PLC): Getting Started”—Mission Vision, Values, Goals by Richard DuFour, Robert Eaker, and Rebecca DuFour with special guest Dennis Sparks." Journal of School Public Relations 24, no. 4 (October 1, 2003): 322–24. http://dx.doi.org/10.3138/jspr.24.4.322.
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Huang, Rongjin, Jianyue Zhang, Ida Ah Chee Mok, Wenjun Zhao, Yuanfang Zhou, and Zhengsheng Wu. "Perceived professional knowledge and competence of mathematics specialists and its development in China." International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies 6, no. 4 (October 9, 2017): 321–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/ijlls-12-2016-0056.
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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore what professional knowledge and competence (PKC) that knowledgeable others, namely, mathematics teaching research specialists (MTRS) in China, need to know, and how they may develop their PKC. Design/methodology/approach This study adopts mixed methods. A survey on PKC with 549 MTRS is utilized to examine MTRS’ perceived held and ideal PKC and perceived effective ways of developing their PKC. The responses to the open-ended questions on the survey were used to identify additional dimensions of PKC and ways of developing PKC. Multiple techniques of quantitative data analysis were employed to feature the characteristics of PKC and structure of the survey, and the relationship between background variables and perception of PKC. Collectively, this study paints a rich and comprehensive picture about Chinese knowledgeable others’ knowledge and competence, and its development. Findings The data analysis reveals that the participants appreciated the six-dimension model of MTRS’ PKC. They were confident with their PKC in general, but varied in different aspects. The factor analysis showed the six-dimension model could be further clustered into two components: knowledge about mathematics teaching and learning and competence in mentoring and educational leadership, and knowledge about content, assessing student learning, and use of technology. The participants perceived their learning through multiple ways including: learning through reading, attending specific training programs, attending and mentoring teaching research activities both school-based and across regions, observing and debriefing lessons, sharing within online learning communities. All these venues jointly contribute to developing MTRS’ PKC. Originality/value This is the first empirical study on MTRS’ PKC and its development in China based on such a large sample. The findings of this study not only contribute to an understanding of knowledgeable others in Chinese lesson study and providing suggestions for support of their development, but also provide implications for studies of practice-based mathematics teacher-educators globally.
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Baugh Littlejohns, Lori, Kathy GermAnn, Neale Smith, Judie Bopp, Michael Bopp, Connie Reichel, Sue Harcus, Janet Goldthorp, and Yvonne Hoppins. "Integrating Community Capacity Building and Enhanced Primary Health Care Services." Australian Journal of Primary Health 6, no. 4 (2000): 175. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/py00051.
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The purpose of this study was to design, test and evaluate a community capacity assessment process within a Healthy Communities Initiative (HCI) in conjunction with model development for enhanced primary health care (PHC) services in small rural communities. This paper describes the HCI planning process and community capacity assessment methods and tools, in the context of a small rural community that identified enhanced PHC as a key priority area. A PHC demonstration project was developed and a model integrating community action with the PHC team and the services they provide was created. It is the community action component of the model that we highlight in this paper in order to further knowledge development of strategies to strengthen community action. The key learnings from this study are threefold. The assessment process appears to: (a) be effective in raising awareness, stimulating dialogue, and fostering learning about community capacity (both on the part of community participants and outside professional helpers), (b) be promising in terms of helping communities take action to build capacity in targeted areas, and (c) provide a forum for integrating the HCI and the PHC project, thereby allowing equal attention to be given to primary health care service delivery and to strengthening community action.
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Bergroth, Mari, and Katri Hansell. "Language-aware operational culture." Apples - Journal of Applied Language Studies 14, no. 1 (January 17, 2020): 85–102. http://dx.doi.org/10.17011/apples/urn.202006043978.
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This study examines how practitioners of minority-medium Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) in Finland reflect on language awareness (LA) in their professional learning communities (PLCs). The study is conducted within in-service training for ECEC practitioners and it also highlights how these practitioner reflections can be of use and support developing future in-service training within the action research framework. The data include nine group discussions on a reflection task, with 41 primary participants and 165 secondary participants from each primary participant’s respective PLC. As a starting point, the researcher-trainers identified six language-policy themes on LA in national policy documents. These were presented for practitioners, who then discussed them both in their respective PLCs and within the in-service training. The in-service discussions were audio-recorded and transcribed for qualitative-content analysis. During the analysis, the focus was on the dynamics of minority-majority positions, with the following themes emerging: i) Language contacts; ii) bilingual children and multi-layered identity; and iii) developing multilingual pedagogies. The results showed that the same insights often were treated both as strengths and weaknesses, and that a need exists for support so that practitioners can implement language-aware educational policy into their operational cultures.
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Huguet, Alice, Caitlin C. Farrell, and Julie A. Marsh. "Light touch, heavy hand: principals and data-use PLCs." Journal of Educational Administration 55, no. 4 (July 3, 2017): 376–89. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/jea-09-2016-0101.
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Purpose The use of data for instructional improvement is prevalent in today’s educational landscape, yet policies calling for data use may result in significant variation at the school level. The purpose of this paper is to focus on tools and routines as mechanisms of principal influence on data-use professional learning communities (PLCs). Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through a comparative case study of two low-income, low-performing schools in one district. The data set included interview and focus group transcripts, observation field notes and documents, and was iteratively coded. Findings The two principals in the study employed tools and routines differently to influence ways that teachers interacted with data in their PLCs. Teachers who were given leeway to co-construct data-use tools found them to be more beneficial to their work. Findings also suggest that teachers’ data use may benefit from more flexibility in their day-to-day PLC routines. Research limitations/implications Closer examination of how tools are designed and time is spent in data-use PLCs may help the authors further understand the influence of the principal’s role. Originality/value Previous research has demonstrated that data use can improve teacher instruction, yet the varied implementation of data-use PLCs in this district illustrates that not all students have an equal opportunity to learn from teachers who meaningfully engage with data.
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Johnson, Velma, Jan Carpenter, Centae Richards, and Kathleen Brennan Vincent. "Culturally responsive practices for teacher candidates: a neighborhood treasure hunt." Journal for Multicultural Education 13, no. 1 (April 8, 2019): 19–32. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/jme-07-2017-0042.
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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how, and to what degree, culturally responsive field experiences influence the knowledge, beliefs, perspectives and abilities of teacher candidates in an educator preparation program (EPP). Design/methodology/approach Researchers conducted a mixed methods study using a pre-/post-Likert scale survey regarding pre-service teacher beliefs, reflections, Professional Learning Communities (PLC) meetings and observations by the researchers. Findings Teacher candidates expressed greater confidence in their ability to perform culturally responsive tasks by the end of their first field experience, but also indicated ambivalence toward the importance of those tasks. Research limitations/implications The paper’s limitations include the small number of participants, the short timeframe of the study and it was year one implementation of a new model. Practical implications A community mapping experience called the Neighborhood Treasure Hunt (NTH), in conjunction with the other components of the educator preparation program, impacted teacher candidates’ understanding of culturally responsive teaching practices, their perception of their ability to perform them and the importance of culturally responsive teaching. Each program component is necessary to raise awareness and effect change. Originality/value Based on the research of Ladson-Billings (1994) and Author 1 (2007), the NTH was intentionally integrated into the field experience component. Author 1 (2007) was involved in this process adding integrity, authenticity and originality to the research study with teacher candidates in an EPP.
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Pellegrino, Kristen, Julie Derges Kastner, Jill Reese, and Heather A. Russell. "Examining the long-term impact of participating in a professional development community of music teacher educators in the USA: An anchor through turbulent transitions." International Journal of Music Education 36, no. 2 (May 23, 2017): 145–59. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0255761417704214.
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Peer mentoring and participating in professional development communities (PDCs) have been documented as supporting individuals through the transition into the teacher educator profession. However, Gallagher, Griffin, Parker, Kitchen, and Figg (2011) suggested future researchers examine the lasting impact of participating in PDCs. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the long-term impact of participating in a PDC of music teacher educators. We, as four participant-researchers and one participant, were five early-career women music teacher educators in tenure-track positions at different institutions, reflecting back on our PDC and collaborative research experiences. We used a social constructivist framework to examine how we made sense of our experiences. Data included individual interviews, paired interviews, reflective journals, and a Facebook group. Findings included: (a) feeling empowered through a sense of community and support; (b) coming to new understandings of ourselves as music teacher educators; (c) experiencing benefits and challenges of our collaborative research process; and (d) still learning/becoming. The sense of community and support, benefits from collaborating on research, and opportunities to “play” with our developing identities had lasting professional and personal implications, which helped us successfully navigate the transitions and provided an anchor during the turbulent process of becoming music teacher educators.
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Kyule, Miriam N., Jacob J. J. O. Konyango, and Agnes O. Nkurumwa. "TEACHERS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PRACTICAL AGRICULTURE CURRICULUM IN KENYA’S ARID AND SEMI ARID SECONDARY SCHOOLS." Problems of Education in the 21st Century 76, no. 4 (August 15, 2018): 533–43. http://dx.doi.org/10.33225/pec/18.76.533.
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One of the major challenges of the 21st century is the increasing level of academic qualifications at the expense of relevance in education. School agriculture is one of the subjects which require teachers who as the principal implementers of the curriculum must be able to interpret agriculture curriculum objectives to meet societal needs. However, implementation of agriculture curriculum in Arid and Semi Arid Land (ASAL) secondary schools has fallen short of its expectations as it has not significantly influenced agricultural activities both in school and surrounding communities. Thus, the benefit of implementing agriculture curriculum in ASALs is yet to be fully achieved. The research sought to document the teacher factors influencing implementation of secondary school agriculture curriculum in ASAL schools in Kenya. The research focused on teacher training, teacher technical knowledge and skills about Dry Land Agriculture [DLA] practices and training and support. The research was carried out in ASAL counties of Baringo, Makueni and Narok. Survey research design was used. The researcher developed a semi-structured questionnaire to obtain data on the teacher factors from 88 agriculture teachers. The research results showed that most teachers were trained and professionally qualified thus expected to translate the curriculum objectives to learning activities relevant to ASALS. However, agriculture teachers were found to be deficient in terms of technical knowhow on DLA practices among them, insitu water harvesting and use of sunken beds. Agriculture teachers received insufficient support towards professional development. The support did not aim at DLA knowledge and skill enhancement towards agriculture curriculum implementation. Agriculture teachers’ inadequacy on DLA practices’ technical knowhow and lack of support towards professional development was impacting negatively on agriculture curriculum implementation in ASAL schools. The Government has a responsibility of ensuring that all ASAL schools are staffed with qualified teacher. Secondary school administrations in ASALs need to support teachers on continuous trainings that are relevant to agriculture curriculum implementation. Agriculture training program developers need to focus more on the acquisition of technical know on all DLA practices. Addressing the training inadequacies among agriculture teachers in ASAL schools will lead to a competent staff who can translate curriculum objectives into learning experiences that promote DLA in ASALs. This translation will in turn influence agricultural activities both in school and in the society for improved agricultural production. Keywords: agriculture teachers, curriculum implementation, arid and semi arid lands, dry land agriculture.
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Hassan, Roslizam, Jamilah Ahmad, and Yusof Boon. "Professional Learning Community in Malaysia." International Journal of Engineering & Technology 7, no. 3.30 (August 24, 2018): 433. http://dx.doi.org/10.14419/ijet.v7i3.30.18347.
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The professional learning community (PLC) is a platform for teachers to share their opinions and experiences especially with respect to the quality of teaching and learning processes (PdP). This partnership gives teachers more added value because they have the opportunity to improve their self-esteem and to keep in pace with the developments in the education world. This concept paper will discuss a number of issues related to PLCs such as PLC's background and development, PLC definitions, the development of PLC concept, PLC models and the issues and challenges that exist in implementing PLC. The analysis was done in the context of Malaysia and abroad. The paper is written based on extensive secondary data analysis. After examining all matters related to PLC, it can be concluded that PLC is a form of partnership that every school teacher needs to practice either in the context of education in Malaysia or anywhere in order to drive excellence in a school. With a lot of challenges nowadays regarding the implementation of PLC, this issue needs to be addressed so that the quality of teachers can be enhanced and will further influence the students' academic achievement.