ERIC Number: EJ1111669
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015-Jul
Pages: 32
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2014-9018
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Building a Professional Learning Community: A Way of Teacher Participation in Mexican Public Elementary Schools
Fahara, Manuel Flores; Bulnes, Mª Guadalupe Rodríguez; Quintanilla, Magda García
International Journal of Educational Leadership and Management, v3 n2 p113-143 Jul 2015
The professional learning communities and communities of practice approaches in the arena of education appear to hold considerable promise for sustainable school improvement. These approaches flow from the assumption that teacher's collaboration is central to transform a school into a learning organization. They also provide opportunities for teachers' professional development. The literature shows that schools are frequently called upon to improve by developing high levels of teacher collaboration. In this study we describe how the process of building a professional learning community took place in two urban public elementary schools located in Monterrey, Mexico in which seven teachers participated, from which three were novices and four experts. Through this study, we found that teachers visualized as possible the ability to generate a space where they could reflect and solve problems while they shared experiences from their teaching practices. This space of reflection also allowed them to create projects and develop a sense of community when they had more time available since the schools were usually involved in many projects.
Descriptors: Communities of Practice, Teacher Participation, Teacher Collaboration, Beginning Teachers, Experienced Teachers, Teaching Experience, Educational Practices, Participant Observation, Semi Structured Interviews, Transcripts (Written Records), Program Development, Group Dynamics, Elementary School Teachers, Foreign Countries
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Mexico
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A