Abstract
Existing paradigms of professional development seem to undermine the rich wealth of experiences that teachers have in the schools. Professional learning communities (PLCs) are designed to encourage teachers to look closely into their contexts and develop relevant courses of actions towards their concerns. The present study aimed to explore the experiences of secondary school teachers and school administrators in the Philippines while implementing PLCs. Interviews and focus group discussions involving 40 teachers and 24 school heads and head teachers from four different schools were transcribed and analyzed for emerging themes. Results reveal that there are four primary challenges experienced by the teachers in participating to PLCs: overloads and time conflicts, low trust towards fellow teachers, conflict with ranking and promotion schemes, and failure to appreciate benefits of participation. These challenges are rooted in the school operations and school culture. In terms of opportunities, the following themes are identified: enriched learning strategies and materials, support for new hires, better interaction between school heads and teachers, and more contextualized discussions of school and student concerns. These opportunities can be explored by school heads in improving the quality of professional development activities implemented in the school. Results also pose challenge to school heads on how to better engage the teachers into participating into PLCs to maximize the opportunities.
Highlights
The rise of emerging technologies and learning paradigms has called for educational revolution around the world
The following themes were recurring during the interviews and group discussions: overloads and time conflicts, low trust towards fellow teachers, conflict with ranking and pro motion schemes, and failure to appreciate benefits of participation
School heads have voiced their sentiments by stating that the numerous clerical tasks assigned to teachers are often used as excuses for not attending learning sessions
Summary
The rise of emerging technologies and learning paradigms has called for educational revolution around the world. Schools have begun transforming their facilit ies and equipped their teachers with skills and knowledge needed to deliver the innovative curriculu m. In the Philippines, the introduction of the K-12 program, wh ich added two years in the basic education program, called for the training of teachers. This aimed to acquaint them of the significant curricu lar reform and to retool them with the strategies that they use in teaching. The TPACK model, for instance, encourages teachers to obtain a triangulation of content, pedagogy, and technological skills [1]
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have