Transforming Practitioner Knowledge of Literacy Instruction Through Professional Learning Communities

• In Event: Studying Embedded Learning Opportunities in Professional Development School Contexts

Abstract

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are uniquely positioned to develop shared professional knowledge of the Response to Intervention (RtI) process, while building teachers’ capacity to provide meaningful literacy instruction to students. This research project sought to examine the role of PLCs in transforming practitioner knowledge and practice of meaningful and targeted literacy instruction. In this study, I examine the changing discourses of pre-service and in-service teachers as they engage in and develop shared professional knowledge. Using discourse analysis and inductive analysis, data from interviews, PLC meetings, and class discussions were examined for patterns. Results from the preliminary analysis indicate that teachers increasing understanding of assessment data and instruction progressed over time, but that contentious relations with leadership hindered growth.

Author

• Danielle V. Dennis, University of South Florida