Professional accountability and responsibility of learning communities of practice in professional development versus curriculum practice in classrooms: Possibilities and pathways

Abstract

The study examined professional engagement of communities of practice in primary school teachers’ continuous professional learning activities and improves curriculum practices in classrooms. The study employed a mixed method with concurrent triangulation design. The researchers selected 515 respondents by using purposive, availability, stratified and simple random sampling techniques from target population of the study. Questionnaires, interviews, classroom observation and document examination were used to collect data. The data were analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics and thematic narration. The findings showed that teachers were unable to improve their content-knowledge and pedagogical skills required in the classroom to effectively transform the curriculum into actual practices. The professional learning communities of practice were unable to improve their professional and academic capital, and curriculum implementation in classrooms. The engagement of communities of practice in teachers’ professional development activities affected quality of curriculum practices in classrooms. Therefore, the study recommended that learning communities of practices should carefully plan and implement the curricula in classrooms. Similarly, improving teachers’ accountability system and commitment in their collaborative professional learning should improve instructional practices in primary classrooms in Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia.