Professional Learning Communities: Bridging the Technology Integration Gap Through Effective Professional Development

Background Presently, models of professional development aimed at supporting teachers’ technology integration efforts are often short and decontextualized. With many schools across the country utilizing standards that require students to engage with digital tools, a situative model that supports building teachers’ knowledge within their classrooms is needed. Purpose of Study The purpose of this study was to examine how teachers’ instructional planning and delivery, as well as their perceptions of their proficiency with technology integration, changed when they participated in a model of technology-focused professional development titled the Technology Integration Planning Cycle Model of Professional Development. The researchers also examined the relationship between students’ (N = 1,335) digital literacy skills and teachers’ participation in the Technology Integration Planning Cycle Model of Professional Development. Program The TIPC Model of PD comprised whole-group professional development sessions, long-range planning, access to instructional coaches, professional learning communities, digital tool resources, observations with reflections, and a comprehensive project website. Research Design This mixed-methods study combined numerous quantitative and qualitative data sources and data analysis techniques to answer the research questions. Pre- and posttest comparisons were used to examine changes in students’ digital literacy skills and changes in teachers’ perceptions of their pedagogical expertise for integrating digital technology. Daily diaries, classroom observations, interviews, and field notes were analyzed to understand the role of the professional development in teachers’ instructional planning and their perceptions of their proficiency. Findings Results indicate that students in classrooms with participant teachers performed significantly better on a digital literacy assessment, the Survey of Internet Use and Online Reading, than did control group students. Selective exposure to digital tools, professional learning communities, and opportunities for reflection were the most transformative elements of this model for teachers. Teachers were better prepared to envision their roles in the classroom and the purposes for integrating technology because of the TIPC framework. Conclusions The results of this study provide important implications for professional development, particularly in regard to (1) providing a model in which to ground discussion and application of technology integration; (2) situating digital tools within context-driven instruction; and (3) using multiple modes of teacher engagement.

This qualitative study described the impact of mandatory professional development and school-based professional development as situated learning on English language and literacy teachers' professional knowledge and instructional practices in Qatar's middle school. A hermeneutic approach was used to determine the impact of both a school-based and mandatory professional development on teachers' instructional practices. The theory guiding this study was situated learning theory (Lave & Wenger, 1991) where professional learning is seen to be context related. Constructivism, andragogy, school leadership theory and reflective inquiry were used to inform this study. The study considered whether reflection and dialogue with other practitioners contribute to effective professional learning that improves English language and literacy pedagogical content knowledge. Data collection methods included individual interviews, a focus group, document analysis and journal writing to provide insight into teacher professional development. The results revealed that both mandatory (formal) professional development and school-based development (professional learning communities as situated learning) could help teachers make changes in their thinking and practice, which might have a bearing on results. However, with a few exceptions, most teachers found mandatory professional development less helpful. The results revealed that teachers need more comprehensive formal training in English language and literacy instructional practices. They also need more opportunities to experience school-based professional development as authentic learning. They also need to collaborate in professional learning communities and specific professional development programmes to assess students' English language and literacy deficiencies. These findings were of significance to both school leaders and teachers as they sought to increase meaningful professional development aimed at improving English language and literacy instruction in their schools. The study recommended rethinking the current mandatory English language and literacy professional development components within a constructivist framework and developing a set of clear guidelines for high-quality literacy professional development to improve teachers' professional learning.

Professional learning communities are recognized as one of the most effective approaches for promoting the professional development of teachers. In the current complex and rapidly changing era, to facilitate the implementation of interdisciplinary curricula, Chinese schools have made tremendous efforts to enhance teacher professional development, particularly by establishing professional learning communities. Aiming to understand the operation of professional learning communities in interdisciplinary subjects in Chinese K-12 schools and to examine factors impacting the sustainable development of these professional learning communities, we conducted a case study on professional learning communities in the interdisciplinary subject of Education for International Understanding in Chengdu Horsens Primary School. As part of this study, we interviewed the principal, course director, seed teachers and teachers participating in the selected case. The research results demonstrated that the major factors impacting the sustainable development of professional learning communities in interdisciplinary subjects in Chinese K-12 schools include school structures and policies, school leadership, teachers’ professionalism and learning capacity and their sense of community. In addition, compared to traditional subject-based professional learning communities in China, professional learning communities in interdisciplinary subjects highlight a sense of community, which presents three distinctive features: a conflict-inclusive atmosphere, the coexistence of individual and shared visions and an emotional bonding identity. These three features also have a considerable impact on the sustainable development of professional learning communities in interdisciplinary subjects in Chinese K-12 schools.

Professional learning communities (PLC) have increasingly attracted attention in research on teachers’ professional development. The aim of this study is to identify contradictions that can occur and be manifested in PLCs in mathematics. Identifying contradictions in PLCs are important, as the identification and resolution of contradictions are crucial to developing PLCs. We have conceptualized PLCs and contradictions within the Cultural Historical Activity Theory. Our data consist of two iterations of interviews with four teacher leader coaches with extensive experience of coaching teacher leaders of PLCs in mathematics. The study distinguishes 26 manifestations of contradictions, taking the overall forms of dilemmas and conflicts. Our results can be used in designing PLCs in mathematics: they can be used to make visible and increase participants’ awareness of contradictions involved in PLCs and thereby increase the possibility that the contradictions serve as sources of support rather than obstacles in the development of PLCs in mathematics.

The article examines the correlation between teachers’ collaborative learning and promoting students’ achievements. School pedagogical successes and students’ achievements reflect their teachers’ cumulative abilities. Improvements in teachers’ abilities is a by-product of professional development (PD) frameworks in which they participate. Over the past decade, we have begun to see outputs of teachers’ PD from frontal continued PD frameworks whose effectiveness has been found to be low, toward collaborative learning within and outside school framework. Traditional PD frameworks emphasizing teachers as individuals whose knowledge acquisition is one-way and passive, have been revealed as unsuitable for imbuing competences and skills their students require in preparation for higher education and the labor market. In contrast, one of the prominent frameworks for effective PD is disciplinary or generic professional learning communities (PLC). PLC enables teachers to conduct pedagogical brainstorming, share knowledge and experience, together cope with pedagogical issues and dilemmas linked to students’ achievements and provide one another with emotional support. Noticeably and equitably raising students’ achievements occurs thanks to nurturing cooperation between teachers in PLC frameworks. This article describes the characteristics of collaborative learning in professional communities, leading indirectly to improving students’ achievements.

Programs of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are gradually becoming significant frameworks for enhancing teachers’ professional development and for elevating students’ performances and motivation. This study discusses theoretical and practical perspectives manifested in the design and enactment of innovative middle-school science and high-school physics PLCs: ‘Research-Practice Partnerships (RPPs)’, ‘Scholarship of Teaching and Practitioner Research’, and ‘Boundary Crossing’. The PLCs were carried out as a collaboration between academic teams at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel and practitioners, and involved sharing and collaborative analysis of teachers’ practice and students’ learning. Exemplary case studies, carried out in the middle school science and physics high school PLCs, demonstrate main characteristics of these PLCs. The study on the processes and outcomes of the PLCs indicates that teachers became more attentive to students’ conceptual understandings and needs. Teachers enriched their pedagogical content knowledge, their content knowledge, and their reflective stances towards their practice. A top-down approach, which characterized the initial interactions in the PLCs, has been gradually transformed into interactions and collaborative learning, leading to a ‘change in roles’, which involved a more symmetric sharing of responsibilities between the participants. These interactions within the PLCs created an evolving ‘network model’ of knowledge transmission.

Professional learning communities (PLCs) represent a collaborative approach to professional development wherein colleagues engage in joint learning activities that align with their individual needs. Within the realm of education, PLCs encompass tailored initiatives aimed at enhancing teachers’ professional growth, with a specific emphasis on improving educational outcomes for teachers. The success of this approach hinges on the integration of theoretical knowledge and its practical application. The Ministry of National Education recognizes the significance of reevaluating this approach to facilitate the transformation of schools in Turkiye into collaborative learning communities through the implementation of PLC strategies. To realize this vision, the Ministry places great importance on establishing an enabling environment that encourages teacher interaction and offers diverse opportunities for their professional development. The data were collected using document analysis methodology, and the data consisted of encompassed topics related to in-service teacher training. According to the PLC Model, any PLC is utilized, beginning with participant teachers receiving theoretical training from academics and/or experts, followed by being informed about what practices to apply in their own classrooms according to their prior learning from the theoretical phase. Then, community teachers evaluate their own classroom practices, and eventually, they all gather to evaluate practices and conclude the PLC. Good practice examples are shared in the final evaluation in order to inspire other colleagues nationwide. It has been found that teachers are more efficient and productive when they work in collaboration, which is defined as establishing a working partnership in line with common goals and objectives.

The purpose of this research was to explore how on-site professional development (PD) addresses the goal of improved teacher practice. It was conducted within the context of a national educational reform in Australia. This reform, implemented from 2009 to 2012/13, was a National Partnership Agreement (NPA) with the Commonwealth Government that included the Smarter Schools National Partnerships (SSNP). This research was a multi-site case study of five Catholic primary schools that implemented on-site PD for four years as part of a system response to a reform agenda. Learning on-site was a change in practice for teachers that involved the establishment of professional learning communities (PLCs) and the appointment in each school of an additional school leader entitled a ‘Teacher Educator’ (TE). The interpretative paradigm of research, through the lens of symbolic interactionism and the epistemology of constructionism, was adopted to guide and inform the study. A multi-site case study methodology was chosen as the five schools constituted a single case on multiple sites that shared the phenomenon of interest, i.e., on-site PD (Huberman & Miles, 2002). The data gathering methods were semi-structured interviews, group interviews and a pre-interview self-reflection tool. Findings emerged through qualitative data analysis that utilised the Constant Comparative Method (Merriam, 1998). The major research question was: How does on-site professional development influence teacher practice? Findings from this research indicate that on-site PD influenced teacher practice in certain ways. First, underpinning the approach to changing teacher practice was collaboration. School leaders shared the instructional leadership role and worked collaboratively with teachers, primarily in classrooms, to demonstrate how teaching practice could change. The influence of system leaders on teacher practice was a secondary process mediated by school leaders. Due to a perceived lack of strategic direction, teacher consultation, or involvement in schools throughout the reform, system leaders were not seen as having a positive influence on teacher practice. Second, the structure of the in-situ leadership role of the TE was a key influence on changed teacher practice because it had a singular emphasis on teaching and learning. However, these new roles also led to tension, defensiveness and feelings of vulnerability from teachers; therefore, building trusting relationships and credibility were critical to their influence. Third, because the evolution of PLCs was an organic process, they emerged differently and did not adhere to any set structure. They morphed over time and the guiding principle that drove their creation was the articulated needs of teachers and what the data revealed to be those of the students. The use of data, the deprivatisation of teaching practice and professional dialogue were associated and instrumental in building teacher capacity, and formed the core focus of the PLCs. These three characteristics influenced teacher practice as their data skills were built along with pedagogical content knowledge. Fourth, the construct of on-site PD influenced teacher practice because the learning for teachers was coherent, active, context specific, relevant, timely, accessible and immediate.

A virtual professional learning community (PLC) has the potential to impact positive change in a variety of work environments. The PLC model fosters collaboration and community among educators while achieving learning goals and shaping professional practice. As educators, we are often presented with professional learning opportunities that feel irrelevant to our daily classroom practice. Professional development opportunities often miss their mark because the stakeholders do not feel vested in the learning. Professional development delivered through a PLC model leverages the collective experiences of the participants with the powerful reflection that comes through collaboration. Well-designed PLCs engage stakeholders because the PLC model takes into account adult learning styles and hinges on the meaningful contribution of each participant. Thus, PLCs are a powerful tool for delivering professional development and shaping positive outcomes. This chapter will examine the definition of a PLC, describe the logistics of designing and implementing a meaningful community of virtual learners, and offer a first-hand account of how a virtual PLC was implemented in a middle school to impact professional practice. While the anecdotal accounts are specific to a middle school environment, the fundamental aspects of PLC design and implementation can be applied across a wide array of professional environments. Thus, much of the chapter content will be applicable beyond the scope of a school.

Professional learning community (PLC) has been concerned as an effective way to promote teacher professional development in China. However, PLC must be optimized due to Chinese culture and education system. This study aimed to explore the features of PLC in preschool teachers' perspectives and provided theoretical basis for PLC localization practice. Twenty-eight preschool teachers were engaged in a PLC, their interview data and personal reflection diaries were collected and analyzed based on grounded theory analysis. Five core features of PLC in teachers' perspectives were extracted in this study, including a common vision, a read-practice-share flow, continuous reflection, distributed leadership, peer and organizational support. PLC's common vision is to promote teachers' professional development and children's development. Teachers learn and reflect in the process of "reading-practice-sharing," peer support and leadership empowerment play an important role in a sustainable PLC.

Teachers need to improve their teaching skills to increase the learning benefits of their students. Professional learning communities not only cater to the needs of individual teachers and the whole staff, but also improve the quality of their teaching, and through this, boost their students’ achievement. In a professional teaching community, the key toimproved learning for students is the continuous learning of teachers (Bryk, Camburn & Louis, 2009). The professional learning community (PLC) is becoming a popular techniquefor teachers' professional development, and, as a result, there is a need for research that explores their impact. This study aims to map the effects of the implementation of professional learning communities at a Myanmar Education College, how they impact on the quality of teacher educators’ work, and, hopefully, in turn, on their student teachers’ achievements. Methodically, the study used a qualitative approach and a random sample to obtain data from teacher educators at Monywa Education College, who answered open-ended interview questions. The data revealed that there is a need for more PLCs of teacher educators to nurture their professional development and for the provision of extensive pedagogical support for the operation of PLCs in the current situation.

Professional learning communities have become one of the most talked about ideas in education today. Many K-12 schools are working to become professional learning communities in the hope that student learning will improve when adults commit themselves to talking collaboratively about teaching and learning and then take action that will improve student learning and achievement. The researchers in this study believe that a school must understand and practice the five disciplines of a learning organization to be a true professional learning community and that leadership plays a significant role in the ability of a school to become a professional learning community that enhances student learning. The questions explored in this study of six middle schools, three urban and three suburban, were: 1) What does a professional learning community look like in a middle school? 2) What kind of principal creates a professional learning community in his/her school? 3) What are the beliefs and dispositions of such a leader? 4) Do teachers perceive their school to be a professional learning community? and, 5) Is there a relationship between professional learning communities, leadership, and student learning?

Recently there has been growth in researching teacher agency. Some research has considered the relationship between teacher agency and professional learning. Similarly, there has been growing interest in professional learning communities as resources for professional learning. Connections have been made between professional learning communities and teacher agency, with professional learning communities seen as an affordance for the exercise of teacher agency. However, it has also been argued that there is little detailed evidence of what happens inside professional learning communities or of teacher agency in action. The research reported here focuses on a form of professional learning community from Scotland: Learning Rounds. It uses data from transcripts of post-classroom observation conversations to consider the extent to which Learning Rounds provide an affordance for teacher agency and the extent to which that affordance is utilised. This research makes a contribution in three ways: adding to an empirical understanding of what happens in professional learning communities; understanding how teacher agency is (or is not) exercised in practice; and considering what factors might affect the utilisation (or otherwise) of affordances for teacher agency. The article concludes with several recommendations for developing effective professional learning communities as an affordance for teacher agency.

Emerging models for continuing professional development of teachers engage teachers in a collaborative learning through professional learning communities (PLC) as a way to spur their professional development and empowerment, and correspondingly, lead to positive changes in teaching practices and student learning. Learning communities are created in these collaborative models where teachers debate theoretical principles, share insights about their teaching and learning, design new instructional strategies, experiment new ideas in classrooms and reflect on results. Models such as Wenger’s “community of practice”, Hord’s Professional Learning Community, Katz and Earl’s collaboration model and Pedder and Opfer’s professional learning model will be described. Schools can support teacher learning by promoting collaboration, team learning and collegial dialogue among staff, creating continuous learning opportunities, instituting systems to learn and to share learning. This study explored how a South African primary school succeeded in implementing and developing a PLC culture to empower its teachers to improve their learning and that of their students. Key factors in the success of the school’s PLC were the leadership of the principal, who acknowledged the necessity for a collaborative learning culture, and the fact that the school had strong and experienced teaching staff who were committed to quality teaching and learning.

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are groups of educators committed to working collaboratively in ongoing processes of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students they serve. PLCs operate under the assumption that the key to improved learning for students is continuous job-embedded learning for educators (DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, & Many, 2006). Researchers and practitioners agree that PLCs are critical to the overall success of schools. The problem is that implementing PLCs with fidelity to an inquiry process is a real challenge. Most school districts do not have a systematic or comprehensive approach to guide their PLC process. School leaders are in need of quality tools and resources to assist them in implementing PLCs. As a possible solution to this problem, a design team of four Estacada School District principals and one vice principal was convened to create, field-test and refine a handbook for PLC leadership. The handbook was field-tested in four schools and evaluated to determine its usefulness. The study's primary research questions were: (a) Is the PLC handbook a useful resource for school leaders? and (b) What are the handbook's strengths and weaknesses? Secondary research questions focused on specific topics and sections of the handbook: (a) How do school leaders organize and support a PLC framework? (b) How can PLCs support school change initiatives? (c) How can PLCs gather and analyze student data? (d) How can PLCs plan for future action? and (e) How can PLCs troubleshoot challenges? The design team relied on a problem-based learning approach (Bridges & Hallinger, 1995) and the use of a research and development process (Borg & Gall, 1989) to design an educational product ready for operational use in their schools. The design team met weekly for regularly scheduled meetings. They used the Critical Friends Consultancy Protocol (Harmony Education Center, 2013) as a systematic way to problem solve and collect qualitative data. The data collected from these sessions were transcribed, coded for themes, and analyzed. Other data sources that were used included the review of institutional documentation, structured interviews with teacher leaders, and survey results. The design team then refined its PLC handbook through the first seven steps of the research and development process: (a) Research and information collecting; (b) Planning objectives, learning activities, and small scale testing; (c) Developing a preliminary form of the product; (d) Preliminary field-testing; (e) Main product revision; (f) Main field-testing; and (g) Operational product