Exploring the Ecological Links Between the Physical Education Department–Based Professional Learning Community With Classroom Learning

• In Event: Millennium Hotel Roundtable Session 15
  In Roundtable Session: Initial Teacher Education and Continual Learning in Physical Education

Abstract

Minimal research on school-based professional development (SBPD) explores the extent to which ecological frameworks enhance our understanding of student learning in physical education. This paper applies Bronfenbrenner’s (2005) Bioecological Model to the longitudinal study of a physical education department-based Professional Learning Community (PLC) (Hord, 2008) through multiple data sources. The results from this study identify and align PLC dimensions (shared leadership, shared visions, collective learning, shared practice, supportive conditions) as ‘collective characteristics’ with the person property, ‘reciprocal systemic layers’ with the context property, and ‘operational PLC principles’ with an integration of process and time properties. This study shares results that contribute to our understanding of the chain of evidence (Cochran-Smith, 2005) linking SBPD to classroom student learning indicators.

Authors

• Joao Costa, University College Cork

• Ann MacPhail, University of Limerick

• Marcos Teixeira Onofre, Universidade Tecnica de Lisboa

• Maria Martins, University of Lisbon