Closer to Learning: Social Networks, Trust, and Professional Communities

• In Event: Roundtable Session 18.
  In Roundtable Session: Everybody Learns: Professional Learning Communities and Student Improvement

Abstract

Researchers, educators, and policymakers suggest the use of professional learning communities (PLCs) as one important approach to improving teaching and learning. However, relatively little research examines the day-to-day professional interactions around instructional practices as important social infrastructure of relationships that support student achievement. We draw on social capital theory and social network analysis to better understand high-performing, PLC schools. This study employed a multi-phase mixed-method design. Interview, observation, survey, and network data were collected among 68 teachers and four principals in four elementary schools in two Midwestern school districts. Findings suggest the importance of faculty trust, leadership and collaborative culture, and professional conversations to explain the patterns of interactions around instructional advice. Implications and limitations are discussed in the paper.

Authors

• Yi-Hwa Liou, University of California - San Diego

• Alan J. Daly, University of California - San Diego