The framework of a Professional Learning Community (PLC) was adopted and implemented in Guam schools to foster a system of collaborative practice to improve teaching and learning. The problem addressed in this study was how teacher isolation affected the implementation and effectiveness of PLCs. The purpose of this quantitative study was to…

This explanatory design was used to develop and implement effective Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) at Target Elementary School (TES). The theoretical framework for this study began with the assumption that there was a direct link between PLCs, student data, and self-efficacy of educator collaboration. It should be the goal of every…

STEAM education puts professional learning communities on the agenda by requiring teacher collaboration along with disciplinary integrity. In this study, a professional learning community in STEAM education was investigated by observing 49 teachers from different disciplines working in different districts during 16 weeks of interdisciplinary…

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) have created opportunities, within schools, as a means to work together to share professional inquiry and further explore various strategies to increase student achievement. Previous research on PLCs mostly focused on ways school staff and faculty engaged on topics of student performance and student…

Purpose: In professional learning communities (PLCs), teachers collaborate and learn with the aim of improving students' learning. The aim of this study is to gain insight into teachers' perceptions of their schools' changing toward PLCs and conditions which support or hamper this change. Design/methodology/approach: Questionnaires were completed…

The main goal in this study was to explore the impact of a professional learning community (PLC) on social studies (SS) teachers' professional development (PD) and student academic achievement. With this in mind, the study was carried out using a design-based research approach with an overarching ADDIE design model. The participants of the study…

In an effort to meet the requirements of the many reform efforts facing schools, professional learning communities (PLCs) have been created and implemented by many schools as a valuable strategy to increase student achievement. The main focus of most PLCs is on the cultivation of learning, which includes teachers and administrators working…

Small rural schools often struggle to facilitate true professional learning communities (PLCs) when there is one teacher per grade level in the building. The district selected for this study contained four elementary schools with one teacher per grade level and a combined middle and high school to collect perception data. Utilizing a concurrent…

Formal collaborative structures for teacher teams as professional learning communities (PLC) have long been a supported practice aimed at changing instructional practice and increasing student outcomes in a cycle of continuous improvement. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the implementation of PLC teams at the middle school level in a…

Fostering the development of Professional Learning communities (PLCs) should be a priority for education because of their capacity to enhance teachers' professional development. However, in everyday educational (school) contexts studying and supporting the growth of PLCs is a complex endeavour. As a consequence, there is a lack of instruments for…

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…

Organizational properties of schools can explain why some schools are successful and others are not. We explored the role of enabling school structures and academic optimism, comprised of teacher trust in clients, collective efficacy, and academic emphasis, in the development of professional learning communities (PLCs). Both of our hypotheses were…

Teachers continuously engage in the relational work of sensemaking with students, but they generally do so isolated from colleagues, making individual decisions about their classrooms. Professional learning communities (PLCs), provide opportunities for collaborative professional reflection and development among peers centered on the analysis of…

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are becoming more commonplace in K-12 education. As PLCs represent a departure from isolation toward a culture of collaboration, physical educators may be ideally situated to shape school culture. Physical educators often serve the dual roles of teaching and sport coaching in schools. Sport coaching…

Public choice schools emphasizing inquiry and innovation offer a unique alternative to traditional schools. Research indicates the effectiveness of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) for positive outcomes. The purpose of this study was to investigate teacher and administrator perceptions of the impact of PLCs on teacher efficacy, balancing…