"I Am a More Experienced Teacher So Rely on a PLN Less": Continuity and Change in Educators' Professional Learning Networks

• In Event: 31.087 - Exploring Professional Communities

Abstract

Recent years have seen many educators leverage social media to develop professional learning networks (PLNs) that extend beyond their schools and districts. There is, however, little research about how these PLNs change over time. Following up on a 2014 survey in which educators described their PLNs, this paper investigates changes in PLN experiences through the analysis of survey data where 151 participants were asked to reflect on their earlier descriptions and identify continuity and change in their PLNs. Respondents overwhelmingly expressed that their PLNs had changed over the past four years. They identified a variety of types of changes, and factors contributing to those changes. We discuss these findings and their implications for educator professional learning.

Authors

• Daniel G Krutka, University of North Texas

• Torrey Trust, University of Massachusetts - Amherst

• Jeffrey Paul Carpenter, Elon University