Abstract
This article investigates the level of instructional leadership (IL) of principals and professional learning community (PLC) among teachers in the southern zone of Malaysia which is Johor, Negeri Sembilan and Melaka to analyze the relationship between these two elements. This research also studies which of the IL dimensions can best measure the practice of PLC. This research applied survey research design using IL and PLC questionnaire (KIProQ). The alpha Cronbach value for the pilot study of KIProQ for IL is .962 while for PLC is .930. This study involved 390 teachers that had been chosen using proportional cluster random sampling method. The statistical analysis in this study uses the software IBM SPSS Statistic version 22. The research result found that the principals in the southern zone of Malaysia have practiced IL at medium high level with all three dimensions recorded a mean score value of between 3.796 and 3.965. It was also found that the PLC practice among teachers was at medium high level with the mean score values of all five dimensions being between 3.685 and 4.082. This study also found that the relationship between IL and PLC is statistically significant and positive (r=.658, p<.01) and the relationship is at medium level. A beta correlation coefficient value analysis had shown that two of the three dimensions in IL were identified as the best predictor for the practice of PLC which is the dimension promoting school climate (β=.518, t=7.164 and p=.000) and the dimension managing instructional programme (β=.188, t=2.595 and p=.010). In summary, the practice of IL and PLC has been implemented by the principals and teachers in the southern zone of Malaysia in driving the school towards achieving the stated vision and mission. IL practice is also proven to influence the effectiveness of the PLC practice among teachers and consequently fulfill the effort to make PLC as a culture that must be instilled in schools.
Highlights
The correlation between school leadership and profesional learning community (PLC) practiced among teachers emerged when many researchers had agreed that the school leaders play a major role in creating and maintaining PLC in schools (Gartner, 2010; Geijsel, Sleegers, Stoel, & Krüger, 2009; Stoll, Bolam, McMahon, Wallace, & Thomas, 2006)
The importance of leaders in encouraging PLC culture is noted in a brief statement by Youngs and King (2002) which stated that the success of leaders in supporting PLC culture depends on the extent of similarity between the roles and responsibilities they practice and the responsibilities that they had defined
In terms of the comparison between the dimensions, it was found that the practice of defining the school goal showed a mean (M = 3.9646, SP = .6976) which was higher than the overall mean value (M = 3.8550), while the dimension of organizing instructional program (M = 3.8043, SP = 6105) and promoting school climate (M = 3.7961, SP = .6005) showed lower mean
Summary
The correlation between school leadership and profesional learning community (PLC) practiced among teachers emerged when many researchers had agreed that the school leaders play a major role in creating and maintaining PLC in schools (Gartner, 2010; Geijsel, Sleegers, Stoel, & Krüger, 2009; Stoll, Bolam, McMahon, Wallace, & Thomas, 2006). The importance of leaders in encouraging PLC culture is noted in a brief statement by Youngs and King (2002) which stated that the success of leaders in supporting PLC culture depends on the extent of similarity between the roles and responsibilities they practice and the responsibilities that they had defined.
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