Abstract
In recent years, many educators have turned to professional learning networks (PLNs) to grow in their craft with peers who are more accessible online because of reduced temporal and spatial constraints. While educators have cultivated PLNs, there is a dearth of research about the effects of PLNs. This manuscript reports the findings of a qualitative study that investigated PLN experiences through the analysis of survey data from 732 P-12 teachers. Data analysis suggests that the anytime, anywhere availability of expansive PLNs, and their capacity to respond to educators’ diverse interests and needs, appear to offer possibilities for supporting the professional growth of whole teachers. These findings have implications for defining the present and future of teacher learning in a digital age.
Highlights
The speed with which the Internet has arrived, evolved, and affected the lives of teachers and students of the 21st century is staggering
This manuscript reports the findings of a qualitative study in which we investigated teachers’ understandings of Professional Learning Networks (PLNs) through the analysis of survey data from 732 teachers in Pre-Kindergarten to 12th grade settings
While the terms Professional Learning Network and Personal Learning Network are often used interchangeably, we use the term “Professional Learning Network,” or PLN, because this study focused on teachers’ learning related to their professional work
Summary
The speed with which the Internet has arrived, evolved, and affected the lives of teachers and students of the 21st century is staggering. With shortcomings in teacher professional development (PD) well documented (Opfer & Pedder, 2011), educators have increasingly used digital sites to cultivate and extend Professional Learning Networks (PLNs) to grow as educators. While many educators claim to benefit from PLNs, much remains unknown about how teachers conceive of PLNs, what they learn from them, and how this affects their teaching and students’ learning. This manuscript reports the findings of a qualitative study in which we investigated teachers’ understandings of PLNs through the analysis of survey data from 732 teachers in Pre-Kindergarten to 12th grade settings. We describe the data collection and analysis methods that yielded
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