Elements affecting the development of professional learning communities in schools

Abstract

This article focuses on the development of professional learning communities (PLCs), which are communities within schools, composed of voluntary participating teachers facilitated by school principals with a specific task to accomplish as part of a larger innovation project. Four PLCs were observed during 3 years by using questionnaires and participatory research. The questionnaires revealed that PLCs differed in their group characteristics, collective learning processes and outcomes. Through participatory research, we explored seven elements affecting the development of PLCs, namely, task perceptions, group composition, tensions between roles, beliefs about alignment, reflective dialogues, socialisation and ownership. Beliefs about alignment, ownership and socialisation had sufficient impact on the development of the PLCs. A case study including two contrasting PLCs indicated interrelations between task perceptions and ownership by members and between ownership and socialisation activities. Regarding implications, this research suggests to explicitly create and facilitate reflective dialogues and ownership over time for PLCs to flourish.

School Improvement in the United States: Practices of Professional Learning Communities From School Leaders’ Perspectives

“…This was shared with teachers and teacher leaders at the start of the PLC program. In the academic setting of schools, organisational goals are anchored on teaching and learning to improve student learning outcomes, and these goals are accompanied by core values that shape the culture of the school (Schaap & de Bruijn, 2018). PLC programs reported to have been successfully initiated in schools in Europe and the Asia Pacific region refer back to the school leaders' capabilities to clearly communicate the mission and vision, as well as motivate teachers through a genuine manifestation of collaborative learning (Turner et al, 2018;Wang, 2016).…”

“…Contemporary research in the field of education embarks on the continuous examination and exploration of professional learning communities or PLCs (Hairon et al, 2017;Schaap & de Bruijn, 2018). What was initially thought of as a 'trendy initiative' in response to raising standards of teaching and learning has endured the scrutiny of critics and has lived on to be continuously assessed on the merits of its effects on pedagogical and organisational improvement (Gomes, 2013).…”

Bridging the Research-to-Practice Gap Through Effective Professional Development for Teachers Working With Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

“…Successfully constructing PLCs requires balancing the group's objectives with the individual professional objectives and needs of each participant (Little, 2002), members' engagement in the community (Hardman, 2011), and leadership (Hairon, Goh, & Chua, 2015). Common challenges for teachers trying to construct a well-developed PLC include group tensions, reluctance to speak openly for fear of personal or professional backlash, a lack of a shared vision for the group's purpose and operation, and lack of ownership (Dooner, Mandzuk, & Clifton, 2008;Schaap & deBruijn, 2018).…”

Tensions experienced by teachers when participating in a professional learning community

“…Affordances and personal features do not cause tensions in themselves, but certain combinations of personal features and affordances cause feelings of conflict or frictions and thus a perceived tension. For example, Schaap and De Bruijn (2018) showed that participating in PLCs inherently includes tensions between professional learning and work pressure, between participation in the PLC and the primary process of teaching, between professional development and school improvement, and between individual and collective learning.…”