Schools as Professional Learning Communities

The main objectives in building professional learning communities are to improve teachers’ professionalism and well-being, and create positive impacts on student learning. It is a question of changing the school culture. The main objective of this quantitative study was to investigate the maturity level of thirteen Finnish schools as professional learning communities from the perspectives of school culture, leadership, teaching, and professional development. The participants’ perceptions indicated a culture of collegiality, trust and commitment as common strengths at all schools. The school cultures supported professional collaboration, and the teachers had the knowledge, skills and dispositions to engage in professional collaboration. The challenges were related to structural conditions, especially the lack of collaboration time. Three school profiles were identified in the cluster analysis from the viewpoint of maturity as professional learning communities. Statistically significant differences between the three clusters were found in organizational and operational characteristics.

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School culture and leadership of professional learning communities

International Journal of Educational Management ◽

10.1108/ijem-04-2014-0046 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 29 (5) ◽

pp. 682-694 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Daniel Carpenter

Keyword(s):

School Culture ◽

School Improvement ◽

Professional Learning Communities ◽

Learning Communities ◽

Learning Community ◽

Professional Learning Community ◽

Professional Learning ◽

Shared Leadership ◽

Content Type ◽

Policies And Procedures

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore supportive and shared leadership structures at schools as a function of school culture policies and procedures. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative study was conducted at three secondary schools in the Midwestern USA. Administrators and teachers were interviewed, professional learning communities observed and artifacts collected to explore school culture policies, procedures and leadership in the implementation of professional learning community practice. Findings – This study concludes that school leaders must provide supportive and shared leadership structures for teachers in order to ensure a positive school culture and effective professional learning communities that impact school improvement. Leaders in schools must work directly with teachers to create policies and procedures that provide teachers the leadership structure to directly impact school improvement through professional learning community collaborative efforts. Originality/value – This study builds on the school culture and professional learning communities literature by exploring existent policies and practices in schools as unique cases. Much of the literature calls for specific case studies to identify issues in the implementation of effective practice. This study is important to the community as specific cases that may inform educational leaders on mechanisms that may be leveraged to ensure successful implementation of policies and procedures outline in school culture and professional learning community literature.

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Recommended Implementation Strategies

Personalized Professional Learning for Educators - Advances in Higher Education and Professional Development ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-2685-8.ch006 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 106-128

Keyword(s):

Learning Communities ◽

Learning Strategies ◽

Professional Learning ◽

Implementation Strategies ◽

Professional Collaboration ◽

Learning Networks ◽

School Cultures ◽

Student Centered ◽

Lateral Capacity ◽

Copy And Paste

Learning for both students and teachers is not a one-size fits all or a copy and paste operation. For teachers to value and create student-centered classrooms, they must experience professional learning in a personalized and embedded manner. Supportive school cultures recognize the value of professional collaboration and actively seek to connect educators in meaningful ways. Technology must be used as a tool for learning and not an entity unto itself to meet the challenges of tomorrow's workforce. Personalized professional learning, incorporating coaching, modeling, reflection, collaboration, and professional learning communities build both internal and lateral capacity through a carefully planned environment involving stakeholders. This chapter encompasses recommendations for implementing personalized professional learning strategies to connect institutional knowledge and practices through professional learning networks (PLN), interactions, collaborative conferencing, and coaching.

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A Professional Collaboration Model

Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School ◽

10.5951/mtms.16.5.0288 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 16 (5) ◽

pp. 288-294

Author(s):

Oliver F. Jenkins

Keyword(s):

Professional Learning Communities ◽

Learning Communities ◽

Professional Learning ◽

Professional Collaboration ◽

Collaboration Model ◽

Team Planning

Team planning is explored in light of information drawn from professional learning communities.

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Investigating the Relationship Between School Effectiveness Professional Learning Communities and School Culture: Context of Teacher Characteristics

Education Reform Journal ◽

10.22596/erj2020.05.02.45.59 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 45-59

Author(s):

Hasan Tabak ◽

Fatih Şahin

Keyword(s):

Public Schools ◽

School Culture ◽

Professional Learning Communities ◽

Learning Communities ◽

Professional Learning ◽

School Effectiveness ◽

Teacher Characteristics ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Study Results ◽

The Relationship

This study aimed to test the relationship between school culture (SC), professional learning communities (PLCs), and school effectiveness (SE) in the correlational research model through structural equation modeling. The sample of the study consisted of a total of 358 teachers working at public schools in various provinces of Turkey. Thus, data from a total of 355 teachers were analyzed. In the analysis of the data, the mediator and direct role of the variables were examined through path analysis. Finally, the fourth study hypothesis examined the relationship between these three variables and teacher characteristics. In general, the study results revealed that a supportive, achievement-oriented, and task-oriented SC was important for SE and the exhibiting of PLCs behaviors. In this context, it can be argued that paying attention to these cultural components and applications, which turn teachers into a PLCs, is of significance in making schools effective.

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How the implementation of Professional Learning Communities can affect school culture

10.32469/10355/56546 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Scott A. Mercer

Keyword(s):

School Culture ◽

Professional Learning Communities ◽

Learning Communities ◽

Professional Learning

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Networked Professional Learning Communities as Means to Flemish Secondary School Leaders’ Professional Learning and Well-Being

Education Sciences ◽

10.3390/educsci11090509 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (9) ◽

pp. 509

Author(s):

Laurien Coenen ◽

Wouter Schelfhout ◽

Annie Hondeghem

Keyword(s):

Professional Learning Communities ◽

Secondary School ◽

Learning Communities ◽

Professional Learning ◽

Group Dynamics ◽

Research Evidence ◽

School Principals ◽

Secondary School Principals ◽

Well Being ◽

Phased Development

Whereas Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are a frequently applied professional learning tool in education, their use is often limited to an application among (a) teachers and (b) within-schools. This article contributes to the nascent research evidence on PLC usage for principal professional learning. As outcomes align with PLCs’ phased development, this article grasps the learning processes that unfold, the catalyst states that emerge and the overarching role that a process coach can adopt in this collective learning effort. Three distinct PLCs comprising of Flemish secondary school principals were systematically observed over the course of one to two years. In interviews and questionnaires, members (n = 14) reported on their experience with PLC activities, group dynamics and their personal professional well-being. Networked learning proved a worthwhile method as positive outcomes of PLC participation were predominantly found in a perceived augmentation of professional well-being and the acquisition of inspiration and ideas. Actual co-construction among principal participants appeared harder to establish as several organisational, group developmental and leadership prerequisites were found to apply. As this study was based on three in-depth case studies, it remains to be confirmed whether its conclusions apply to all school principals in Flanders and can be generalised to their counterparts internationally.

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