Professional Learning Communities Research Articles

Bringing academic disciplines together to focus on literacy: a secondary school case study

PurposeThe purpose of this qualitative study was to bring together teachers from different academic disciplines to engage them in lesson study (LS) cycles with a focus on literacy.Design/methodology/approachThis research employed a qualitative case study and occurred in one secondary school along the Texas (USA) and Mexico border. Ten teachers representing six academic disciplines participated in eight LS cycles to reflect on their knowledge of literacy, including when, if at all, they integrated literacy when planning and teaching lessons. About 20 students shared their impressions, feelings and thoughts about the lessons.FindingsTeachers learned that literacy standards exist in each academic discipline and that integrating reading and writing during lessons allowed for more increased dialogue between/among teachers and students. The principal learned that teachers from all academic disciplines need differentiated, sustained professional learning opportunities on how to teach literacy skills.Originality/valueTeachers often work alone or within their respective academic departments, whereas this project focused on secondary teachers from six academic disciplines taking part in LS cycles with a common focus on literacy. Sustained opportunities for teachers to study their standards and curriculum materials, plan and teach lessons and share perspectives from classroom observations resulted in new knowledge about ways to include literacy in any academic discipline. A schoolwide professional learning community focused on literacy could act as a catalyst for instructional change.

Teacher collaborative inquiry into practice in school-based learning communities: The role of activity type

This study contributes to growing scholarly interest in teacher-led, school-based learning communities and the characteristics of teacher dialogue and social interaction that support professional learning in these settings. Based on existing conceptual distinctions proposed in the literature, we term this type of teacher dialogue “collaborative inquiry into practice” (CLIP) and propose a systematic and reliable tool to measure it. We then employ a quantitative, comparative research design to study how different teacher team activities (i.e., video-analysis, peer consultations, and pedagogical planning) shape the extent to which teachers engage in CLIP. Fifty-four transcribed teacher meeting excerpts were analyzed with the CLIP coding scheme, assessing different aspects of inquiry-based reasoning, participation, and content. Quantitative comparisons and illustrative examples show that CLIP was lowest during peer consultations, in part because teachers were often not positioned as agents of change in such conversations. Pedagogical planning activities featured more instances of inquiry into each other's ideas. Contrary to common assumptions, collaborative video analysis activities were not characterized by increased attention to student thinking or inquiry orientation. Our findings provide new insights into teacher-led, collaborative learning in on-the-job settings, as well as practical implications for the design of school-based professional learning communities.

Professional Learning Community

This study aims to analyze the impact of the Professional Learning Community (PLC) on the quality of learning in Nusantara Capital Buffer Schools (IKN). A mixed-method approach, combining qualitative and quantitative elements, was employed to understand the phenomenon comprehensively. The results indicate a significant improvement in learning outcomes, as evidenced by the increase in the average post-test score (70) compared to the pre-test score (48.75). The PLC program provided a platform for teachers to collaborate, share insights, and develop effective strategies to address learning challenges. Furthermore, implementing the PLC fostered a more supportive school environment, making students feel more comfortable and engaged. The findings underscore the importance of enhancing and expanding PLC initiatives to improve students' academic and non-academic achievements. Practically, these results suggest that the PLC model can be a valuable tool for teacher development and improved student outcomes. Academically, this study contributes to the growing literature on collaborative learning environments and their role in enhancing educational quality.

How do early childhood education leaders shape professional learning communities?

ABSTRACT This study examined how early childhood leaders working simultaneously as kindergarten teachers perceive the professional learning communities they lead – explicitly identifying the factors that promote or hinder the communities’ development from the leader’s point of view. A qualitative-phenomenological approach was applied using semi-structured interviews of ten early childhood leaders. Factors that contributed to a community’s successful functioning were discussions on practices and real-life dilemmas, active involvement of teachers in community meetings, and creating an atmosphere based on trust and closeness. On the other hand, hindering factors were essentially allocated time to transferring agendas and information from superintendents and limited collaborative culture among teachers beyond community meetings. The findings highlight the considerable potential of professional communities for providing significant assistance to kindergarten teachers to promote children’s education. Nevertheless, leaders need more autonomy in determining the content of meetings and additional knowledge and strategies to strengthen pedagogical collaborations between community participants.

The Factors Affecting the Impacts of Using the School Improvement Plan (SIP) on Students' Academic Achievement in Malaysia

While professional learning communities are hailed as the solution to raising teacher quality in Malaysia, other nations, such as the UK and Canada, have started to deprivatize teaching. This theory is predicated on the notion that teaching is a collaborative endeavor in which educators grow as individuals and professionals. Rather, it is a cooperative process in which teacher learning enhances student learning. Furthermore, the traditional classroom is rapidly changing to accommodate the needs of students in the twenty-first century while also encouraging the deprivatizing teaching approach. Consequently, this study presents a curriculum-change implementation strategy one school uses to meet Malaysia's evolving understanding of learning in and for the twenty-first century. Narrating a series of anticipated strategic events clarifies the importance of using distributive leadership as an essential tool for supporting educational enhancement and highlights the benefits of consultative techniques. This study aims to determine the variables that influence how the School Improvement Plan (SIP) affects Malaysian students' academic performance. Using a Google Form approach, this study used a quantitative research design, an effective and systematic way to collect quantifiable data. According to this survey, teacher leadership factors have the most significant impact on students' academic success compared to the other two factors. The results of this study suggested a theoretical framework that forecasts the related factors—principal instructional leadership, teacher leadership, and conducive school environment—that influence the effects of implementing the School Improvement Plan (SIP) on students' academic achievement in Malaysia.

A Comprehensive Analysis of Teacher Professional Learning Communities: A Scopus Based Review (2019–2024)

Professional learning communities (PLCs) play a pivotal role in fostering continuous professional development for educators. However, the broad picture of PLCs has been under investigated in recent years. We filled this research gap by conducting a mixed systematic review of PLCs. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) model, 27 publications from Scopus between 2019 and 2024 were extracted and analyzed. Our analysis primarily focused on discerning the prominent research trends in this field, scrutinizing research article counts, and examining countries, authors citation counts, and keywords of the selected articles. The findings reveal the existence of 12 issues pertaining to recent teacher PLCs. Notably, the number of research articles addressing this topic exhibited an upward trajectory, with the journal Teaching and Teacher Education serving as the preferred publication outlet for authors. Among the influential contributors in this domain, the research conducted by Yin et al. (2019) from Hong Kong held the greatest sway. Commonly recurring keywords in the analyzed articles include learning, professional, community, and teacher. Consequently, this research review offers a comprehensive overview of teacher PLCs, thus providing valuable guidance for educational researchers and practitioners in shaping future research endeavors.

Dialogic reading in an early childhood education setting: ECEs’ learning in the context of a community of practice model

ABSTRACT The professional development (PD) of early childhood educators (ECEs) is key to childcare quality. The Professional Learning Community (PLC) model has been well-researched in K-12 settings and is found to have advantages over traditional models of PD; thus, it holds promise for educators in other settings such as early childhood education centers. Indeed, there is an increasing call for the implementation of this model in ECE settings. Some research has found that supporting ECEs’ professional learning (PL) through PLC development is a promising approach; nonetheless, PLCs remain under-researched in early childhood contexts, and findings are less conclusive. The current study examined the potential of PLC development for supporting learning about Dialogic Reading (DR) – a topic of interest to ECEs. In the current study, ECEs in one Canadian context participated in an online project in which they concurrently learned about the PLC model and DR. Our research, including ECEs’ written reflections, and video data of the ECE-child storybook reading, yielded novel findings. These findings suggest that ECEs learned to employ the specific techniques of dialogic reading for engaging children and enriching the dialogic interactions during storybook reading, while also learning to enact processes associated with a PLC model. The ECEs attributed several features of the PLC model to deepening their DR learning. These findings and their implications for practice and future research are further considered.

ENHANCING ESL NOVICE TEACHERS’ PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: ROLES OF PEERS IN OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING THROUGH PEER MENTORING

The transition from pre-service training to real-world classrooms can be daunting for novice English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers. A qualitative multiple-case study approach was employed to determine the impact of peer mentoring on ESL teachers’ professional development through mutual classroom observations. Specifically, peer mentors’ guidance on novice ESL teachers in developing effective instructions was appraised by applying Lortie’s (1975) apprenticeship of observation. The data were collected through interviews with three novice ESL teachers from public primary schools who participated in peer mentoring partnerships, classroom observations, and participants’ personal journal entries. Thematic analysis was performed, which demonstrated that peer mentoring facilitated a) enhanced instructional practices, b) a shift in the novices’ mindset and c) a collaborative interaction in the professional learning community. The findings posited that peer mentoring provided an alternative observational learning approach for novice ESL teachers in terms of effective instructional strategies from colleagues while obtaining specific feedback on professional development. Resultantly, a nuanced comprehension of the approach employed by novice ESL teachers to enhance instructional expertise via peer support was provided. Practical implications were contributed to existing ESL training programs, novice ESL teachers, and educational institutions.

Exploring High School Economics Teachers’ Curriculum Implementation Practices: A Case of the Northern Cape Province of South Africa

This empirical study explored high school Economics teachers’ curriculum implementation practices in South Africa. The research focused on a sample of three Economics teachers purposefully selected from three schools in the Northern Cape province. Drawing on the theoretical framework of Mediated Learning Experience (MLE) and adopting a qualitative approach, the study employed a case study design.To get insight on the Economics teachers’ curriculum practices, semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis were used to generate data from the selected high school Economics teachers. Braun and Clarke’s six steps of thematic analysis were followed in analysing the triangulated data. The study findings indicate that some Economics teachers’ practices on instructional planning, selection of resources, feedback, and reflective practices promoted meaningful learning. The study concludes that although there are pockets of effective curriculum implementation practices by Economics teachers, there is a need to continue with in-service teacher training to enhance the teachers’ curriculum implementation practices. The study recommends that Economics teachers should form Professional Learning Communities where they learn and share good practices to provide teachers with continuous in-service training on how to plan lessons that cater for diverse learners’ needs. This study contributes to the scholarship by providing insights into how teachers’ curriculum practices can be enhanced both at pre-service and in-service levels to improve teacher effectiveness and efficiency. Furthermore, the study forms the basis on which further research on Economics teachers’ curriculum implementation practices on a more representative scale can be conducted. Keywords: Economics Education, Curriculum Implementation, Learner-centred Practices, Mediated Learning Experience

Case Study: The Impact of the Professional Learning Community in Batinah South Governorate/Oman on Developing Students Reading Comprehension

This case study examines the impact of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) on improving students' reading comprehension in the Batinah South Governorate, Oman. The study was implemented across five schools, where a dedicated team of senior supervisor, supervisors and senior teachers was established to conduct a comprehensive support plan. The study focused on enhancing the students’ reading comprehension as a priority stemmed from the students’ results of the previous semester. Reciprocal reading strategy was adopted, and some follow-up sessions were arranged to monitor progress. Pre- and post-reading tests were analyzed in order to assess the effectiveness of the strategy. The findings of the study have revealed a slight but notable increase in students' reading comprehension levels, representing the potential of PLCs in fostering reading development within the school students.

Developing a Professional Learning Community for Pre-service Teachers Majoring in "History Education", "History and Geography Education" through Vocational Training at the University of Education, Vietnam National University, Hanoi

The field of teacher professional development has been extensively researched, while pre - service teacher professional development has received little attention. This article focuses on creating a professional learning community for “History Education”, “History and Geography Education” students. Pre - service teachers are individuals who have not yet officially entered the profession; they serve as the high school reserve team and the "future generation" of the education industry. As a result, focusing on developing professional knowledge and competence for them is seen as one of the most pressing challenges, particularly in light of the constant changes in education that necessitate prompt adaptation and adjustment by teachers. The solution that we propose is to create professional learning communities for pre - service teachers through vocational training programs at universities. We perceive that the recommended approaches can have produced positive results in terms of boosting their understanding and professional training.

Designing and Implementing Sustainable Professional Development Programs: Embodied Curriculum and Instruction for Kindergarten Teachers

Embodied design is a theory-to-practice and pedagogical framework and emphasizes the role of embodied and situated activity. Since embodiment has a powerful impact on young children’s learning, implementing embodied deign in kindergartens is essential and beneficial to their future mathematical learning and performance. Therefore, this qualitative study aimed to develop a professional learning community composed of eight kindergarten teachers and university teacher educators (researchers) and to co-construct a professional development model for curriculum design and instructional implementation of embodied design in mathematics. Accordingly, the main research objectives were to obtain a sustainable professional development model and summarize principles of embodied mathematics curriculum design and strategies for embodied instructional activities, which can be used both in practical settings (i.e., kindergarten and preschool) and early childhood teacher education programs in higher education. Data were gathered through participative observations, including PD meetings and classroom observations, in-depth and follow-up interviews, teachers’ lesson design and reflection notes, and children’s learning profiles, and then were analyzed qualitatively using a descriptive and explanatory approach with replication logic. Based on the data collection and analysis, two major sections of the findings and discussion were included in this report, which were as follows: first, a sustainable “task design professional development model” was generated for collaboratively future improvements of both in-service and pre-service teacher training programs in higher education; second, two principles of embodied mathematics curriculum design and two effective embodied teaching strategies were proposed to promote kindergarten teachers’ professional knowledge and capabilities and their young children’s mathematics learning capabilities.

“Take a Deep Breath and Re-Center the Student's Perspective”: Partnering Instructors and Disabled Students for Accessible Teaching

Background Because accessible and anti-ableist teaching is rarely prioritized in instructional development programs, a new initiative was developed at a large, public university. Launched in January 2022, it piloted strategies for shifting instructors’ mindsets about and pedagogical approaches to accessibility. Using a professional learning community model, disabled students served as course consultants to instructors, working closely together in a semester-long partnership. Objective The purpose of this study was to research the program's effects on the participating instructors. Method Multiple raters coded qualitative data collected over a period of five months from meeting notes spanning 30 instructor–student partnership meetings, four all-team meetings, two student focus groups, three instructor focus groups, and six online discussion boards. Results The results showed the mindset shifts and teaching strategies that emerged through this semester-long initiative. They also revealed the program elements that had the greatest impact on instructors. Conclusion This study demonstrates the role that disabled students can play in helping instructors learn about accessibility and how learning community models support substantive changes in teaching. Teaching Implications The results of this study should help psychology teachers and departments improve their courses and engage in ongoing development to improve access and equity in their courses.

Transformational Leadership Training for Vocational School Principals in Ponorogo District : Strengthening Professional Learning Communities

This community service aims to improve the social competence of school principals through transformational leadership training to encourage professional learning communities in the Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity era. The method used in this community service used an IGROW- based coaching approach. The target participants of the training consisted of principals and vice principals of vocational schools in Ponorogo District who were accompanied by coaches from the field of education management with expertise in transformational leadership and educational organizations. The evaluation of this training was conducted using questionnaires. The data collected from these instruments were then analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results of this activity showed that this transformational leadership model training was carried out well and smoothly so that the targets and outcomes of this community service activity could be achieved. Participants were active in conveying and elaborating on the leadership problems faced in their schools. The analysis of the training implementation evaluation data showed that principals were highest in applying the inspirational motivation aspect of transformational leadership. This aspect of inspirational motivation could include the principal's ability to inspire and motivate staff and teachers to achieve the school's vision and goals. This indicates the importance of the principal's role in fostering a positive work environment and motivating their team to achieve better.

The Implementation of Bilingual Education in Taiwan: A Case Study of Two Junior High Schools with a Bilingual Curriculum in Taipei City Using the FERTILE Model

The development of bilingual education has rapidly grown in the past few decades, with v and ying implementations reflecting each country’s political, social and cultural contexts. In response, the Taiwanese government launched the Bilingual 2030 policy in Taiwan to improve international competitiveness and communication. Employing the FERTILE model as the theoretical framework, this case study focuses on (1) comprehending the role of the administrative team in implementing bilingual education within schools and (2) exploring the function of bilingual teacher professional learning communities. The results indicate that the involvement of school administrative teams, along with the support from BPLCs, are essential for implementing bilingual education in schools. More importantly, this research highlights the importance of administrative teams in providing a supportive environment. Also, the support from administrative teams is significant for enhancing the function of BPLCs, which play a key role in improving teachers’ instructional strategies. The findings of this study can generate both theoretical and practical contributions to bilingual education in Taiwan. First, the findings provide schools and policy makers in Taiwan with valuable insights for fostering bilingual teacher professional learning communities. Second, the findings from the two case studies, which utilised the FERTILE model to implement bilingual education, can serve as references for its nationwide promotion.

The Impact of Participation in Professional Learning Communities on Physical Education Instructional Leaders

This study investigates the assessment of the physical education teachers and department chairpersons in five institutions in Hunan Province, China, about professional learning communities for physical education and their levels of participation. Stratified sampling was used to generate 187 P.E. teacher-respondents and 52 P.E. chairperson-respondents. Under the Quantitative Research Method, this study utilized weighted mean score and multiple regression to predict the variables in professional learning communities. Based on the findings, as for the profile of the respondents with the combined results from the P.E. teachers and P.E. chairpersons, the following emerged from the data: the age bracket of 41–45 has the highest number of respondents with a master’s degree, constituting 29.7%, the male respondents dominated the data with 64.9%, a total of 79.9% of the respondents are Master's Degree holders, and the length of service revealed 29.7% for 16 years and above. Five variables were tested in the study: professional commitment, strategic approaches, pedagogical and technological knowledge, supportive organizational teaching and learning environments, and professional ethics and standards. The combined mean scores of the two groups of respondents resulted in no significant difference in most of the variables and no significant relationship between the respondents’ assessment of professional learning communities and their level of participation. However, some indicators are not rated highly, and the study calls for a teacher development program. The five variables are considered predictors of the participation of the respondents in PLCs. Furthermore, all the variables are predictors in the professional development of physical education teachers. The strongest predictor is professional ethics and standards, followed by professional commitment. Physical education teachers can be motivated by their chairpersons to join seriously in PLCs to further enhance their capabilities in teaching physical education.

How to better promote teaching? Unveiling the links between Professional Learning Communities and Intrinsic Motivation among Foreign Language Teachers

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) assume a vital role in promoting teacher growth and development, while the presence of intrinsic motivation (IM) in the work environment profoundly impacts teacher performance. Unveiling the interconnections between teachers' engagement in PLCs and their intrinsic motivation holds the potential to enhance the overall well-being of both teachers and students. This study used a mixed-methods approach to investigate the relationship between PLCs and IM of Chinese Teachers of Foreign Languages (CTFL) in higher education. The questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews were conducted among 198 teachers in 19 provinces of China. The quantitative data were analyzed by means of descriptive analysis and regression analyses with SPSS 22.0 and the qualitative data were processed by following thematic analysis. Results demonstrated that the participants' perceptions on their PLCs and IM were at a moderately high level, with mean scores at 3.56 and 3.86 on a 5-point Likert scale, respectively. Regression analyses revealed a significant positive correlation between PLCs and IM. Specifically, Shared Vision (SV), Supportive Environment (SE) and Collaborative Learning (CL) in PLCs were positively correlated with Willingness to Take on Challenges (WTC) and Love for Work (LW) in IM. The qualitative findings highlighted the significance of supportive environment and teacher's work engagement in affecting teacher's perceptions on PLCs. Job Characteristic of foreign language teacher, along with significant others might also influenced teachers' intrinsic motivation. Implications for PLCs leadership and foreign language teachers are discussed.

The role of transformational leadership in professional learning communities: Empirical evidence from China

The role of transformational leadership in professional learning communities: Empirical evidence from China

The RESPOND Teacher Professional Profile and Portfolio for Global Competence

This paper presents the first product of the RESPOND European Erasmus+ project on the mutually sustaining relationship between teacher professional development and overall school development. The focus is on the RESPOND Teacher Professional Profile and Portfolio for Global Competence, developed as a tool for building a teacher professional profile and promoting a self-assessment process within a framework of sustainable teacher professional development in professional learning environments and communities. The paper presents an overview of the RESPOND project, illustrates each of the components of the profile and portfolio, and concludes with a reflection on the aims and the intended impact of the tool.

Reconsidering the Aims of English Professional Learning Communities: Planning for Justice-Oriented Student Experiences

Reconsidering the Aims of English Professional Learning Communities: Planning for Justice-Oriented Student Experiences