ERIC Number: EJ1017638
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013-Jun-23
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1990-3839
EISSN: N/A
The Professional Learning Community in Special Education Schools: The Principal's Role
Schechter, Chen; Feldman, Niv
Educational Research and Reviews, v8 n12 p785-791 Jun 2013
The concept of a professional learning community is characterized by the networks of learning processes which exist among its members, where teachers continuously deliberate with one another on how to solve problems that relate to teaching and learning. Interestingly, whereas a growing number of studies have focused on how to promote collective thinking and learning networks among general public school teachers, as well as between general and special education personnel in inclusive contexts, the notion of professional learning communities has not been explicitly deliberated and empirically investigated in the context of special education schools. The present article attempts to fill in this gap in the professional literature and explore the concept of a professional learning community in special education schools. The conceptual framework of the professional learning community is described, followed by an explanation of the importance of learning communities in special education, focusing on the principal's role in nurturing a learning community in special education schools.
Descriptors: Communities of Practice, Principals, Administrator Role, Special Education, Educational Administration, Networks, Inclusion, Special Schools, Special Education Teachers, Teacher Student Relationship, School Personnel, Team Teaching
Academic Journals. e-mail: err@academic.journals.org; e-mail: service@academicjournals.org; Web site: http://academicjournals.org/ERR2
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A