Professional Learning Communities: Effective Teaching

The concept of the professional learning community ( PLC) has been embraced widely in schools as a means for teachers to engage in professional development leading to enhanced pupil learning. However, the term has become so ubiquitous it is in danger of losing all meaning, or worse, of reifying 'teacher learning' within a narrowly defined ambit which loses sight of the essentially contestable concepts which underpin it. The primary aim of this paper is therefore to (re-)examine the assumptions underpinning the PLC as a vehicle for teacher led change in schools in order to confront and unsettle a complacent and potentially damaging empirical consensus around teacher learning. This paper examines the characteristics and attributes of the 'effective' professional learning community as identified in the literature, drawing out the tensions and contradictions embodied in the terms professional, learning and community. The paper considers the implications of this analysis for practice, and concludes by offering some insights into the nature of 'school improvement', and the role of PLCs in realizing this.

The article explores the ways how a professional learning community (PLC) uses data to improve student learning. Topics include topics inquired and by the data using PLC's such as students unable to demonstrate proficiency, students highly proficient, area where my students struggle, views of Rich Smith, assistant superintendent of Sanger Unified School District, on the improvement initiative, and data as a powerful tool for meeting the needs of individual studen

Student-driven “deep learning”, teachers as “coaches” and “activators of learning” and positive student–teacher relationships are all part of the changing and significantly innovative educational landscape which requires considerable pedagogical change in teaching and learning processes. Teacher professional learning communities (PLCs) have been recognised as highly effective in supporting teachers in changing their beliefs and practices. There is considerable agreement about the characteristics of PLCs and there seem to be links with positive psychology’s wellbeing and “flourishing” key concepts although there has been little research undertaken about this. The current research aims to explore these connections using case studies of three significantly innovative schools, with research methods including document study, surveys, interviews and focus groups. Research findings and data analysis undertaken highlight the PLC characteristics and positive psychology connections. The paper concludes by highlighting the benefits for schools and education systems of developing a greater understanding of PLCs, through using the lens of positive psychology. Through positive psychology elements such as nurturing positive emotion and a greater sense of purpose for teachers within PLCs, there are benefits for teacher professional learning but also potentially for student learning and wellbeing.

The article discusses how to encourage professional learning communities (PLCs) to focus on examining teaching methods. Topics covered include teacher development social capital, and teacher collaboration.

Students represent the majority of the people in a school organisation, but are rarely considered as participants in literature on professional learning communities (PLC). This article explored a PLC with the legitimate participation of students in the classroom. Data was based on interviews with 11 teachers. Community of practice theory provides 3 dimensions that were used as analytical tools: shared repertoire, mutual engagement, and joint enterprise. Shared repertoire refers to how teachers introduce and develop tools for learning; mutual engagement to how to establish relationships and atmosphere with a respect for learning; and joint enterprise to how students’ associations and experiences are used to shape content knowledge in planning for learning. We conclude that the theory of community of practice is useful to describe and understand the formation of a PLC.

The article discusses the efforts of the Newton-Conover City School district in Newton, North Carolina, to increase teacher collaboration to achieve a shared sense of responsibility and achievement gains. The authors look at the importance of teacher leadership and a supportive school administrative structure, the use of professional learning communities (PLCs) to facilitate teacher collaboration, and the resulting increases in student outcomes from 2006 to 2010 related to high school graduation rates and end-of-year test results in the middle school.

This study investigates the experiences of teacher leaders working to facilitate professional learning communities (PLCs) focused on inquiry into disciplinary literacy at the high school level. Specifically, we examine the moves that team leaders made to preserve focus and learning within their PLCs and how participants experienced their leadership. We found that the teacher leaders in this study established structures and routines for their PLCs to work productively together and that their facilitation was crucial for the success of inquiry, and thus for participants' professional learning and growth.

Professional learning community (PLC) is a current 'buzz' term in business and educational contexts, seemingly referring to anything from decision making committees to regular meeting groups or collegial learning teams. This paper explores the concept of a PLC within three significantly innovative schools, based on an examination of the relevant literature and also focusing on surveys and interviews. Findings indicate that, while there is broad consistency across the literature and within the innovative school cases in terms of core PLC elements of shared vision and values, collegiality, joint practical activities and student learning data, teacher inquiry and leadership support and opportunities, there are some pivotal PLC characteristics which heighten the professional learning impact. In this paper, using vignettes from the case study schools, these pivotal characteristics are related to developmental phases of PLC establishment. This offers valuable insights about nurturing more learning-focused PLCs, with significant benefits for teacher professional growth and ultimately for student learning.

This study is a survey and interpretation of professional development literature related to professional learning communities (PLCs) in schools. Current K-12 trade publications focusing on PLCs were analyzed against four different theoretical models of professionalism. Each model encourages and legitimates a different understanding of the knowledge content and practices that make teachers and their schools "professional." The article concludes that PLC learning presently embraces the technical and managerial dimensions of teachers' work at the expense of craft knowledge and critical perspectives, resulting in narrow and impoverished understandings of teacher professionalism, and limiting potential contributions of PLCs to teachers' professional growth and learning.

This study is a survey and interpretation of professional development literature related to professional learning communities (PLCs) in schools. Current K-12 trade publications focusing on PLCs were analyzed against four different theoretical models of professionalism. Each model encourages and legitimates a different understanding of the knowledge content and practices that make teachers and their schools "professional." The article concludes that PLC learning presently embraces the technical and managerial dimensions of teachers' work at the expense of craft knowledge and critical perspectives, resulting in narrow and impoverished understandings of teacher professionalism, and limiting potential contributions of PLCs to teachers' professional growth and learning.

The primary purpose of this research is to illuminate perceptions and lived experiences of secondary teachers through their involvement in a Professional Learning Community (PLC). Teachers' experiences within a PLC were examined for patterns of cultivated leadership. The second purpose of the study was to identify variables that either promote or hinder teacher leadership development. Hord's (1997, 2004) research on PLC's is the conceptual framework for this study, which states that PLCs are comprised of five essential dimensions: (1) shared and supportive leadership; (2) shared values and vision; (3) collective learning and its application; (4) shared personal practice; and (5) supportive conditions. Online survey research method was used to investigate teacher leadership in PLCs and the underlying variables associated with participation in such communities of practice. The findings indicate teachers have varying perceptions and experiences that both promote and hinder their growth as teacher leaders.