week 7

Best Practices for Building Professional Learning Communities

Student Name

University Affiliation

Best Practices for Building Professional Learning Communities

Type and Purpose off The Five Articles

The text intends to analyze the findings on the information from the five articles that were gathered. The article is to critically focus on the effect of professional learning communities on the student learning and teaching practices. It also intends to look into the features of introduction and effectiveness of professional learning communities in the development of schools. Again, the article analyzes how professional learning leads to professional growth and collegial learning. Additionally, the paper shall research the introduction of professional learning communities in North Carolina and look into perspective of teachers, especially on the professional learning communities in Arab countries. The articles under consideration were: enabling school structures, collegial trusts and academic emphasis: antecedents of professional learning communities; enhancing self-efficacy in elementary science teaching with professional learning communities; Teachers’ perceptions and implementation of professional learning communities in a large suburban high school; professional learning communities: research and practices across six educational systems in the Asia-Pacific region communities; and improving Student Achievement through Professional Learning Communities. The five articles collaborate to understand the current conditions of the professional learning communities in schools at North Carolina in relation to the Arab countries and improvement that could be made in the near future.

1. In the article by Gray, J., Kruse, S., & Tarter, C. J. (2016). Enabling school structures, collegial trust and academic emphasis: Antecedents of professional learning communities Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 44(6), 875-891: The authors conducted a research in North Carolina within four middle schools. Research was designed to answer one question; which is the effort made to improve PLC. The authors performed a study to compare two schools with different levels of collaborative communities-to show the connection between school effectiveness on the performance tests. The study used non-participant observations and questionnaire surveys.

The best practices for building professional learning communities in the middle schools environments; building trusting relationships with the colleagues; and creating change within a culture of teachers and students promote collegial trust and academic emphasis. According to the article: enabling school structures, collegial trust and academic emphasis: Antecedents of professional learning communities, professional learning communities are involved in the learning progress and helps in addressing team goals. Additionally, they help in making instructional changes regarding the student data and ensure regular team meetings to analyze student data. If teachers and administrators could be involved in the same learning discussions and situations, teachers’ practices could highly increase as well.

Again, in the schools that participate in shared vision and values, PLCs platforms promote higher student expectations, team roles for students, and a strong belief system that directly empowers teachers through leadership and opportunities responsibilities. According to Gray, Kruse, & Tarter (2016), the PLCs allow teachers to come up with learning strategies and curriculums, which in return promote positive feedback by giving students confidence while handling the performance tests. Eleven high schools in the four school systems in North Carolina are involved in the PLCs. In some Arab countries, the PLCs are used to engage school staff at all levels in activities that seek new knowledge and means of applying that understanding in the work collectively. However, the knowledge should be utilized in the overall goal achievement of the student.

2.In the article by Roberts, M.L. (2010). Improving Student Achievement through Professional Learning Communities. Educational Administration, 42: The author interviews the staff from different schools to identify the impacts that the PLCs have on the student performance. The structure questionnaires and observations were used on the sample schools, which are quantitative correlational in nature. The PLCs assessment-revised questionnaire by Huffman (2010) was utilized to identify the teachers’ and administrators’ perspectives concerning the major current situation that constitute a professional learning community. Roberts designates to address the requests for use of the method. The questionnaire is translated into Arabic, for the Arab participants. However, both the Arabic and English versions are similar in versions as translated by the language experts. The revised final version of the questionnaire was administered to high school teachers in Saudi Arabia. Specifically, the questionnaire creates the perspectives of the staff with regards to the practices as observed in the schools relating to; collective learning and application; and shared leadership. The method utilized a five-point scale ranging from 1=Strongly Disagree to 5-Strongly agree. The statements of the survey were grouped into the following representative groups: Items 1-10 focus on the attributes of supporting a shared leadership; items 11-20 determine the participants’ perspectives concerning collective learning and application. The research confirmed that PLCs are the best in the development of staff. The Saudi schools, to somewhat, function as PLCs based the teachers and administrators’ perceptions. Unlike in the North Carolina, the teachers in the Arab case do not take part in the planning processes; again, they lack effective training on implementing team work, therefore, a culture for learning and desire to collaborate is not successful.The findings of the article showed that changing the culture in different countries is cumbersome and it is an ongoing study. The study offers certain examples of teachers who work in the isolation could begin to function in a collaborative environment to increase the effectiveness of their schools.

3.In the article by Mintzes, J. 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: Mintze provides insight from the district schools’ setting. A district ensures that the teachers and administrators meet and collaborate. However, there were no guidelines for teachers in the meetings. The professional development time was set on holidays and was completely voluntary. It is good that everyone should be involved in gaining knowledge about PLC for common good; the process should not voluntary. Again, although some teachers might be confused and frustrated by the new direction, they should learn more about PLC to know its importance and to facilitate it. In the study, however, PLC allowed teachers to focus on the student needs and; allowed teachers and administrators to engage towards development to benefit student learning.

4.In the article by Peppers, G. J. (2014). Teachers' perceptions and implementation of professional learning communities in a large suburban high school (Doctoral dissertation, Capella University): The author of the article finds out that building trust among the administrators and teachers within school is crucial. The author interviews administrators for further research. The article narrates how the administrators portray trust in the schools. The teachers should have beliefs about their schools and trust each other. Additionally, the administrators should be the core of establishing trust in their schools. The findings of the article state that teachers should establish norms for growing as professionals. The rationale of the article supports the topic of research by illustrating ways of fostering trust within a school, and between administrators and teachers. Although the study does not focus on a particular school, the author provides an insight on how trust could potentially move encourage teachers to create relationships that develop a professional learning community.

5.In the article by Pang, N.S. & Wang, T. (2016). Professional learning communities: research and practices across six educational systems in the Asia-Pacific region communities. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 36(2): The authors of the article provide examples where professors worked with three out of the four school systems in North Carolina to create partnerships with teachers. The team of professionals targeted eight high schools and one elementary school. The team offers information about how the high schools have a developed a working environment with the teachers and administrators to help start an initiative to foster the learning setting in the schools. The team of professors helped them identify their beliefs and values. The correlational study article illustrates ways of creating a change within a culture of administrators and teachers. As aforementioned in the previous article, the authors recognizes that change is always difficult despite whether it is voluntary or imposed on teachers. However, the article highlights examples showing how working together for a common good creates connections that are essential.

References

Gray, J., Kruse, S., & Tarter, C. J. (2016). Enabling school structures, collegial trust and academic emphasis: Antecedents of professional learning communities. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 44(6), 875-891.

Mintzes, J. 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. J. (2014). Teachers' perceptions and implementation of professional learning communities in a large suburban high school (Doctoral dissertation, Capella University).

Pang, N.S. & Wang, T. (2016). Professional learning communities: research and practices across six educational systems in the Asia-Pacific region communities. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 36(2)

Roberts, M.L. (2010). Improving Student Achievement through Professional Learning Communities. Educational Administration, 42.