Building a Learning Community: Examining the Factors Associated With the Implementation of Professional Learning Communities

• In Event: Roundtable Session 1
  In Roundtable Session: Deepening Our Understanding of Professional Learning Communities

Abstract

Educational research says that collegial work is connected to positive outcomes for teachers and students, but for various social, psychological as well as organizational reasons teachers often face challenges to working together. There is much research about what effective professional learning communities (PLCs) look like, but less has been done to examine the implementation process. This study combines survey data of 33 New Jersey public schools involved in a state-sponsored PLC training program and case studies of two of those schools. The findings showed that while predictable issues like time and relationships played a role, the leaders’ judicious use of their means of control and their support of teacher autonomy proved to be a surprisingly important factor for these schools.

Author

• Dan Mindich, Stanford University/Punahou School