Collegedegree 9 | - Freelance Writer
Apr 10, 2018 | #1
In recent years, academics have placed an increasing emphasis on exploring the potential role that professional learning communities (PLCs) can play on teachers' professional development, as well as student outcomes. Because of its relatively recent emergence as a potential tool for bringing about educational excellence and transformation in this sphere, researchers have approached questions about PLC and and PLC efficacy from a variety of perspective - in terms of methodology, samples, and other core issues. These different approaches have yielded significantly different answers. Within this paper, three pieces of relatively recent research will be explored in greater detail, in an attempt to shed additional light on what PLCs are and how they may be effective in the educational sphere.
Before turning our attention to these three specific studies, it is important to establish a working definition of what a PLC is. The Glossary of Education Reform defines a PLC as "a group of educators that meets regularly, shares expertise, and works collaboratively to improve teaching skills and the academic performance of students." The second part of this definition is worth underscoring. PLCs have a dual goal - to upgrade participants' teaching skills and to ensure that students will benefit from this enhanced professional development. The authors of the three cited studies begin from this basic framework definition.
The three articles that are being considered each took a different methodological approach to investigating the impact that PLCs have on both teacher development and learners' outcomes. For example, Gray, Kruse, & Tarter addressed this question from a quantitative perspective - distributing a perception-based survey to a wide sample of teachers and principals who have been part of PLCs. On the other hand, Mintzes, Marcum, Messerschmidt-Yates, and Mark looked at this question using mixed research methods and a much more restrictive sample - assessing the performance and attitudes of only elementary school science teachers. And finally, Peppers looked at the question of how PLCs impact teachers and learnings through a qualitative lens focused on suburban high school teachers.
Yet, despite the striking differences in utilized methodology, as well as the varied samples being looked at, all three studies found evidence that PLCs do play a positive role in enhancing teachers' professional development and improving learners' outcomes measured across various indicators. For example, Gray, Kruse, and Tarter determined that enabling social structures and collegial trust played a positive and significant role in improving development. This finding was largely echoed by Mintzes, Marcum, Messerschmidt-Yates, and Mark who also found that teachers who participated in these PLCs believed that they had grown significantly in efficacy. Interestingly, these teachers pointed both to actual experiences gained in the PLCs, as well as collaboration, sharing, trust, and similar values, as the reason for this growth. And Peppers' findings, although qualitative and less pronounced, also aligned with these findings.
Professional learning communities (PLCs) are a tool that many academics and researchers believe will be effective in upgrading teacher development, improving learners' outcomes, and fostering meaningful transitions in the sphere. Given that professional learning communities are a relatively new innovation, research is also in a nascent stage. And, as these three articles indicate, different researchers have taken radically different approaches to assessing the efficacy of PLCs. Yet, despite these varied approaches (methodologically and sample-wise), the conclusions remain largely the same - and positive. PLCs translate into greater professional development and improved learner outcomes, and are thus worthy of additional study and focus.
References
Gray, J., Kruse, S., & Tarter, J. (2015). Enabling school structures, collegial trust, and academic emphasis. Antecedents of professional learning communities. Electronic.
Mintzes, J., Marcum, B., Messerschmidt-Yates, C., & Mark, A. (2013). Enhancing self-efficacy in elementary science teaching with professional learning communities. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 24(7), 1201-1218.
Peppers, G. (2015). Teachers' perceptions and implementation of professional learning communities in a large suburban high school. National Teacher Education Journal, 8(1), 25-31.
Professional learning community. The Glossary of Education Reform. Electronic.
Before turning our attention to these three specific studies, it is important to establish a working definition of what a PLC is. The Glossary of Education Reform defines a PLC as "a group of educators that meets regularly, shares expertise, and works collaboratively to improve teaching skills and the academic performance of students." The second part of this definition is worth underscoring. PLCs have a dual goal - to upgrade participants' teaching skills and to ensure that students will benefit from this enhanced professional development. The authors of the three cited studies begin from this basic framework definition.The three articles that are being considered each took a different methodological approach to investigating the impact that PLCs have on both teacher development and learners' outcomes. For example, Gray, Kruse, & Tarter addressed this question from a quantitative perspective - distributing a perception-based survey to a wide sample of teachers and principals who have been part of PLCs. On the other hand, Mintzes, Marcum, Messerschmidt-Yates, and Mark looked at this question using mixed research methods and a much more restrictive sample - assessing the performance and attitudes of only elementary school science teachers. And finally, Peppers looked at the question of how PLCs impact teachers and learnings through a qualitative lens focused on suburban high school teachers.
Yet, despite the striking differences in utilized methodology, as well as the varied samples being looked at, all three studies found evidence that PLCs do play a positive role in enhancing teachers' professional development and improving learners' outcomes measured across various indicators. For example, Gray, Kruse, and Tarter determined that enabling social structures and collegial trust played a positive and significant role in improving development. This finding was largely echoed by Mintzes, Marcum, Messerschmidt-Yates, and Mark who also found that teachers who participated in these PLCs believed that they had grown significantly in efficacy. Interestingly, these teachers pointed both to actual experiences gained in the PLCs, as well as collaboration, sharing, trust, and similar values, as the reason for this growth. And Peppers' findings, although qualitative and less pronounced, also aligned with these findings.
Professional learning communities (PLCs) are a tool that many academics and researchers believe will be effective in upgrading teacher development, improving learners' outcomes, and fostering meaningful transitions in the sphere. Given that professional learning communities are a relatively new innovation, research is also in a nascent stage. And, as these three articles indicate, different researchers have taken radically different approaches to assessing the efficacy of PLCs. Yet, despite these varied approaches (methodologically and sample-wise), the conclusions remain largely the same - and positive. PLCs translate into greater professional development and improved learner outcomes, and are thus worthy of additional study and focus.
References
Gray, J., Kruse, S., & Tarter, J. (2015). Enabling school structures, collegial trust, and academic emphasis. Antecedents of professional learning communities. Electronic.
Mintzes, J., Marcum, B., Messerschmidt-Yates, C., & Mark, A. (2013). Enhancing self-efficacy in elementary science teaching with professional learning communities. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 24(7), 1201-1218.
Peppers, G. (2015). Teachers' perceptions and implementation of professional learning communities in a large suburban high school. National Teacher Education Journal, 8(1), 25-31.
Professional learning community. The Glossary of Education Reform. Electronic.