The Implementation of Professional Learning Community for Elementary Teachers

Abstract

A BSTRACT : In the era of globalization, schools are expected not only to provide high quality of educational services for students, but also to provide high quality assurance of instructional services for all students. This role of schools can be conducted regularly through implementing the PLC (Professional Learning Community) practices at the school level. The purpose of this study is to de scribe the effective ness of PLC activities for Elementary School Teachers by discovering Principal roles as a supervisor on developing teachers’ professional competences, PLC activities, and its performance indicators. Th e study applied quantitative approach with survey method by using stratified random sampling technique on collecting data from Elementary School Principals and Teachers in Subang District , West Java , Indonesia. Data collected are analyzed by using multi-regression technique. The study concludes that the effective model of PLC activities for Elementary School Teachers are strongly supported by: (1) the school Principal leadership behavior oriented toward his/her function as the instructional leader, motivator, and facilitator on providing condusive learning environment for Students and Teachers; (2) determinant components of improving teachers’ competences through PLC, such as commitment, responsibility, meaningfulness, collabor a tion and sharing, and quality school culture; and (3) Teachers’ self - renewal capacity to understand Students’ potential and capacities , and the need to improve instructional services regularly. The study recommends that the school Principal should develop school quality culture as the basis for effective PLC activities to facilitate Teachers’ professional quality improvement and Students’ learning quality improvement; and should collaborate with various sources available in outside of the school related to PLC activities. KEY WORDS : Professional Learning Community; Principal Leadership B ehavior ; Teacher Professional Competences. About the Authors: Dr. Cicih Sutarsih and Prof. Dr. Udin Syaefudin Saud are the Lecturers at the Department of Educational Administration FIP UPI (Faculty of Education, Indonesia University of Education), Jalan Dr. Setiabudhi No.229, Bandung 40153, West Java, Indonesia. For academic interests, the authors are able to be contacted via e-mails at: cicihsutarsih@upi.edu and usaud@upi.edu Suggested Citation: Sutarsih, Cicih & Udin Syaefudin Saud. (2019). “The Implementation of Professional Learning Community for Elementary Teachers” in EDUCARE: International Journal for Educational Studies , Volume 11(2), February, pp.157-168. Bandung, Indonesia: Minda Masagi Press owned by ASPENSI with ISSN 1979-7877 (print) and ISSN 2621-587X (online). A rticle Timeline : Accepted (October 28, 2018); Revised (December 27, 2018); and Published (February 28, 2019).