This study piloted a survey to determine possible use in a future study that would assess teacher efficacy, the relationship between teacher self-efficacy and the implementation of professional learning communities, and how perceived leadership support impacts that relationship in an urban school district. The data collection process included…

This research shows the development and influencing factors of high school English teachers' evaluation of professional learning community in Changchun, China. Followed Olivier and Hipp & Huffma's research, the teacher professional learning community evaluation questionnaire was developed by the researchers. 422 English teachers in Changchun…

The focus of the action research reported here is on how leaders and teachers used teamwork in developing a professional learning community in a new compulsory school in Iceland. Collaboration is a critical issue in schools as it can improve practice that supports student achievement. Results from the TALIS 2008 study show that Icelandic teachers…

This mixed-method study explored the characteristics of professional learning communities (PLCs) in Chinese schools. Informed by the existing literature on PLCs, the authors conducted a questionnaire survey of teachers in seven schools in Shanghai to explore the characteristics of Chinese PLCs. Follow-up qualitative interviews were also conducted…

The purpose of this study was to research the perceptions of teachers concerning the implementation and effectiveness of professional learning communities in a middle school in a rural school district in North Carolina. The data were gathered using the Professional Learning Communities Assessment-Revised (PLCA-R) survey and individual one-on-one…

This mixed-method study explored the influencing process of professional learning communities (PLCs) on teacher job satisfaction in China. A questionnaire survey on 488 teachers in 16 primary schools in Shanghai was administered to examine the effect of PLCs on teacher job satisfaction. Follow-up qualitative interviews on ten teachers were…

Secondary school students in the 21st-century are faced with political, economic, and social trends that often pose crises such as performing below levels of proficiency on state mandated assessments. Restructuring school cultures within various schools and districts were noted through the establishment of professional learning communities (PLCs).…

Researchers have identified teaching quality as a significant factor in increasing student academic achievement (Berry & Wieder, 2009; Hord, 2009; Schmoker, 2005; Waters, 2011). Educational leaders have therefore sought ways to improve teachers' pedagogy. One popular method for doing so has been to implement Professional Learning Communities…

The purpose of this study was to explore the phenomenon of school turnaround through an examination of educator perceptions of the implementation of Voelkel's (2014) framework for professional learning communities (PLCs), collective efficacy, and transformational leadership, which provided the theoretical framework for the study. This study…

Professional learning communities (PLCs) have gained attention as an effective practice for supporting teachers and developing students since their inception in the early 1990s yet there is still work to be done in developing a blueprint for effective implementation in a pervasive culture of isolation and resistance, especially in secondary…

Professional learning communities are promising for teacher learning and improving the quality of education. In the past decade, there has been a shift in focus from within-school to cross-school PLCs: Professional Learning Networks. Knowledge of the underlying working processes of teacher learning in PLNs is scarce. This is even more complicated…

A professional learning community (PLC) facilitates collaborative learning among colleagues at all levels in their common working environment. PLCs are particularly useful in schools, with teachers and principals meeting regularly to solve problems relating to teaching and learning. Being a means of improving student achievement, PLCs have…

As the professional learning community (PLC) as a desired cultural norm gains popularity within K-12 state schools, greater knowledge of the PLC implementation process is warranted. This study reports findings from semi-structured focus group interviews with teachers in an urban/suburban high school after one year of schoolwide professional…

Due to educational policy, data use in schools is a widespread method of school improvement, yet results remain inconsistent. Across the literature, the school leader is a key determinant of the effectiveness of data use. This study sought to shed light on the role of the school leader in data use through a mixed methods case study. The study…

Institutions of higher education have a primary concern regarding the success and attrition rates of the students. When these items begin to decline, it becomes necessary to ask why. This study looks at one identified element which is the increased role of adjunct faculty. The study specifically addresses the adjunct faculty training and…