Exploring the relationship between professional learning community characteristics in departments, teachers’ professional development, and leadership
J.Valckx, G.Devos, & R.Vanderlinde
J.Valckx, G.Devos, & R.Vanderlinde
Teachers’ professional development (PD) is important to improve the quality of education. Professional learning communities (PLCs) are considered as promising contexts for teachers’ PD. This study explores PLC characteristics (i.e. collective responsibility and reflective dialogue) in secondary school departments and the role of these characteristics for teachers’ PD. It also examines how leadership facilitates these PLC characteristics and teachers’ PD. Based on teachers’ perceptions of the strength of PLC characteristics in their department, two high-perceived and two low-perceived PLC departments were selected for a qualitative exploratory case study research. Data were collected from 21 interviews with teachers and their department heads and principals from the four departments to explore how PLC characteristics in the high-perceived PLC departments differed from those in the low-perceived PLC departments. The results indicate that high-perceived PLC departments have potential for teachers’ PD. Teachers in these departments have a collective and subject-related PD. Furthermore, the leadership practices of principals and department heads differed across high- and low-perceived PLC departments. Principals and department heads in high-perceived PLC departments stimulate teachers’ collaboration and PD more dynamically.