Author: Katie Thompson BaileyPublisher:
ISBN:
Category : Professional learning communities
Languages : en
Pages : 342
Book Description
The Perceived Impact of Professional Learning Communities on Collective Teacher Efficacy in Two Rural Western North Carolina School Districts
Author: Katie Thompson BaileyPublisher:
ISBN:
Category : Professional learning communities
Languages : en
Pages : 342
Book Description
The Influence of School Level on Perceptions of Components of Professional Learning Communities in Traditional Public Schools
Author: Jennifer Metz HollingsworthPublisher:
ISBN:
Category : Professional learning communities
Languages : en
Pages : 117
Book Description
The purpose of this study was to compare the influence of school level to schools' perceptions of school leadership, instructional practice and support, and professional development, components of professional learning communities. Participants included traditional public schools serving students in kindergarten through twelfth grade in North Carolina. Instrumentation for the study included select questions from the North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions survey and the Active LEA (School District) School Report from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Designed as an ex-post facto causal comparative study, a two-sample t-test between percents was used to analyze the data. No significant differences in teacher perceptions in any of the studied components of professional learning communities when comparing elementary school to middle school, elementary school to high school, or middle school to high school. The researcher failed to reject all nine hypotheses for the study indicating that while the methods teachers use to meet the needs of the learners and the learners vary, the practices involving professional learning communities are perceived to be the same among North Carolina public school teachers. This study aims to add quantitative support to the existing literature for implementation of improving upon professional learning communities in schools. Recommendations for further study include widening study participants to include private schools, charter schools, and those that do not serve traditional students, examining locality as a factor, including results from prior survey administrations and survey administrations since 2016 to look for trend data, and using teacher demographics as a variable to examine teacher perceptions.
Case Study
Author: Rachel N. ClarkePublisher:
ISBN:
Category : Elementary school teachers
Languages : en
Pages : 230
Book Description
This study examined how the implementation of a professional learning community (PL community) model affected teacher behaviors in two elementary schools in central North Carolina (p. 34). The research questions underlying the study were: (1) How does establishing a PL community change teacher instructional behavior? (2) How does the implementation of a PL community encourage teacher professional growth? and (3) How do grade level meetings affect the instructional behavior of classroom teachers? -- Written documentation and perceptions of principals and teachers, solicited through interviews and focus groups, provided data for the study, along with survey data and grade level meeting documentation. Renata Tesch's interpretational analysis was used for coding the qualitative data from the interviews and the grade-level meeting minutes. This analysis is defined as the process of examining the data collected closely to find themes and patterns that can be used to describe the phenomena (in this case, the effects of implementing the PL community) being studied (Gall, Gall, & Borg, 2003). -- The data collected demonstrated that School A did not experience a change in teacher behaviors as a result of the implementation of the PL community model. A lack of a clear vision and a culture of trust along with a weak understanding of what a PL community is was evident in School A. School B did not show a change in teacher behaviors as a result of the PL community model either, but the school clearly demonstrated a shared vision and growth in the collective understanding of what a PL community is. Recommendations for future study include revisiting these schools after another year of implementation.
Learning Together, Leading Together
Author: Shirley M. HordPublisher: Teachers College Press
ISBN: 9780807744116
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 196
Book Description
Increasingly the education world is recognizing that the development of learning communities is an effective means for improving schools without increasing the budget or adding new programs. This indispensible volume offers practical advice gathered from 22 schools (elementary, middle, and high schools) that have successfully modeled or are creating professional learning communities.
Impact of Professional Learning Communities on Teacher Efficacy at Joplin High School
Author: Sandra J. CantwellPublisher:
ISBN:
Category : Professional learning communities
Languages : en
Pages :
Book Description
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES: A MULTIPLE-CASE STUDY OF FOUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ./ by Debra J. Martin
Author: Debra J. MartinPublisher:
ISBN:
Category : Action research in education
Languages : en
Pages : 255
Book Description
Professional learning communities (PLCs) are a proven construct that enhances learning for both teachers and their students. This mixed-methods multiple-case study explored the relationship between teachers' and administrators' perceptions about professional learning communities and their attributes in four elementary schools in a suburban school district in New Jersey. Multiple data sources included the Professional Learning Community Assessment, principal interviews, teacher focus groups and archival documentation to address the following research questions: (1) What supportive conditions are necessary for professional learning communities to effectively support student and adult learning? (2) How does participation in professional learning communities influence collective learning and application? and (3) How has the leadership role of the principal changed with the implementation of professional learning communities? The findings from both the quantitative and qualitative data presented a comprehensive picture of educators' perceptions about the first year's implementation of professional learning communities in the areas of supportive and shared leadership, collective learning and application, and supportive relational and structural conditions. After analyzing the data of this action research, common themes emerged: focus on student learning, teacher job-embedded learning, collaboration, supportive conditions, collective capacity, results-oriented assessments for learning, and a systematic monitoring and response to each student's proficiency. Other significant conclusions for professional learning community implementation included: (1) collaborative cultures, based on trust and respect, develop over time and allow for risk taking in the learning process; (2) norm building is necessary for effective collaboration; (3) PLC time must be regularly embedded into the teachers' schedule to ensure collective inquiry and dialogue; (4) the principal provides instructional materials and resource staff to support shared practice and continuous learning; and (5) the principal shares information and collaborates on decision-making issues connected to student learning. This study demonstrated that the development of effective, sustainable professional learning communities is a process that develops over time with a principal providing the necessary supportive conditions to enhance levels of trust among all staff so they can work collectively to ensure both student and adult learning.
Collabration in Professional Learning Communities and Development of Teacher Efficacy and Trust in Alabama Schools
Author: Datie PriestPublisher:
ISBN:
Category : Electronic dissertations
Languages : en
Pages : 119
Book Description
Collaboration in Professional Learning Communities and development of teacher efficacy and trust in Alabama schools was studied. The purpose of the study was to examine how Professional Learning Communities are used in North Alabama schools to foster collaboration and to develop teacher efficacy and trust within school settings. The participants in the study were kindergarten through fifth grade educators employed in North Central Alabama schools. The methodology consisted of the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES), a survey by Tschannen-Moran and Woolfolk Hoy (2001) and researcher-developed interviews. The surveys were used to identify patterns and themes about teachers' beliefs. Purposeful interviews were conducted to assess the perceived levels of trust and effectiveness gained as a result of participating in collaborative activities. Data from the Teachers Sense of Efficacy Scale, a survey used to assess teacher efficacy in student engagement, teacher efficacy in instructional strategies, and teacher efficacy in classroom management, were analyzed and paired with themes that emerged from interviews surrounding the establishment of trust. Interviewees viewed these emerging themes as being a result of their participation in collaborative activities in professional development settings. Results indicated that teachers who were involved in ongoing, job-embedded professional development centered on dialogue and collaboration reported a higher sense of efficacy and were more willing participants in dialogue on teaching and learning in perceived risky environments.
Perceptions of Professional Learning Communities and Teacher Efficacy
Author: Mark JohnsonPublisher:
ISBN:
Category : Educational leadership
Languages : en
Pages : 114
Book Description
Efficacy of Professional Learning Communities and Their Impact Upon Student Academic Outcomes as Perceived by Local School Administrators and Teachers
Author: Shandra M. YarbroughTwo Approaches to Learning Communities in a Large Suburban District
Author: Chad Matthew GoldenPublisher:
ISBN: 9781303241017
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :
Book Description
The guiding purpose of this study was to examine two types of learning communities, Pearson Learning Teams (PLTs) and Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), in a large suburban school district to describe and compare the professional practices and professional relationships of teachers and administrators in six elementary schools. The study looked at teacher learning communities as perceived by educators in three PLT schools and three PLC schools following program implementation. The factors affiliated with professional practice were holding a common vision, carrying out tasks, focusing on results, and engaging in inquiry. The factors aligned with professional relationships were a feeling of belonging and managing conflict. Findings indicated educators in all schools reported high levels of agreement that their learning communities reflected desired qualities for teacher collaboration. No difference in common mission, tasks, and action between PLT and PLC schools were noted. Conflict and goals were more evident in PLT schools. Educators in schools that followed PLC guidelines were more likely to agree that a sense of belonging was part of their team work.