A review of research on the impact of professional learning communities on teaching practice and student learning☆
Introduction
Over the past 20 yr there has been a paradigm shift gathering momentum with regard to the professional development of teachers. Fueled by the complexities of teaching and learning within a climate of increasing accountability, this reform moves professional development beyond merely supporting the acquisition of new knowledge and skills for teachers. In their article on policies that support professional development, Darling-Hammond and McLaughlin (1995) write, “The vision of practice that underlies the nation's reform agenda requires most teachers to rethink their own practice, to construct new classroom roles and expectations about student outcomes, and to teach in ways they have never taught before” (para 1). Darling Hammond and McLaughlin go on to note that helping teachers rethink practice necessitates professional development that involves teachers in the dual capacities of both teaching and learning and creates new visions of what, when, and how teachers should learn. This most recent model of professional development ultimately requires a fundamental change in the institutional structures that have governed schooling, as it has traditionally existed.
One model that has evolved as a way of supporting this paradigm change is that of professional learning communities (PLCs). Although, current professional development literature is replete with articles that extol the virtues of learning communities as an essential way to organize schools in order to maximize time spent in professional development (e.g. Bryk, Lee, & Holland, 1993; Louis & Marks, 1998), only recently has the focus of this literature shifted to examining empirically the changes in teachers’ practices and students’ learning as a result of PLCs. Although, teachers’ perceptions about the value of PLCs are both valid and valuable, understanding the outcomes of these endeavors on teaching practice and student learning is crucial, particularly in today's era of scarce resources and accountability. With this in mind, the purpose of this manuscript is to provide a review of the research available on the impact of PLCs on teaching practices and student learning. In an attempt to create a comprehensive picture we first provide an overview of the essential characteristics of PLCs. After developing this foundation, we examine the current literature as it relates to two basic questions:
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In what ways does teaching practice change as a result of participation in a PLC? And, what aspects of the PLCs support these changes?
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Does the literature support the assumption that student learning increases when teachers participate in a PLC? And, what aspects of the PLCs support increased student learning?
Section snippets
Essential characteristics of professional learning communities
The concept of a PLC is based on a premise from the business sector regarding the capacity of organizations to learn. Modified to fit the world of education, the concept of a learning organization became that of a learning community that would strive to develop collaborative work cultures for teachers (Thompson, Gregg, & Niska, 2004). Learning communities are grounded in two assumptions. First, it is assumed that knowledge is situated in the day-to-day lived experiences of teachers and best
Parameters for the review of the research
The studies for our review come from two key sources. First, we searched the US research and publications links on the websites of organizations that are at the forefront of work with school-based learning communities. Specifically, we searched the websites of the Annenberg Institute for School Reform, the National School Reform Faculty, the Coalition of Essential Schools, and the Wisconsin Center for Education Research. Our second source of literature comes from searches on both ERIC and EBSCO
Professional learning communities and teaching practice
At its core, the concept of a PLC rests on the premise of improving student learning by improving teaching practice. As a result it is important to look across the reviewed studies to discern the connections between participation in a learning community and teachers’ classroom practices. As a way of organizing this part of our review, we will focus on our guiding questions: In what ways does teaching practice change as a result of participation in a PLC? And, what aspects of the PLC support
Professional learning communities and school culture
Although many of the 11 studies failed to describe specific changes in pedagogy, change in the professional culture of a school is a significant finding because it demonstrates that establishing a PLC contributes to a fundamental shift in the habits of mind that teachers bring to their daily work in the classroom. All 11 of the studies cited empirical data suggesting a change in the professional culture of the school had occurred. Six of the studies drew upon quotes from participants to
Professional learning communities and student achievement
The literature provides modest evidence that PLCs impact teaching. What, however, does the evidence tell us about the effects on students? In an educational climate that is increasingly directed by the demands of accountability, the viability of PLCs will be determined by their success in enhancing student achievement. This makes it incumbent upon educators to demonstrate how their work in learning communities improves student learning. Of the 11 studies reviewed for this analysis, eight
Summary
The use of professional learning communities (PLCs) as a means to improve teaching practice and student achievement is a move that educators support and value, as indicated by teachers’ perceptions of impact as cited in this review. There is also some limited evidence that the impact is measurable beyond teacher perceptions. To summarize the findings across the reviewed literature in terms of our two initial research questions: (1) participation in learning communities impacts teaching practice
Conclusions
Reviewing literature is essentially an act of interpretation. That is, the reviewers elect which literature to include and which to exclude based upon the guiding questions for the review. Those decisions shape the conclusions from the review. In this review we have not reported the findings of the many reports that describe work within PLCs nor have we reported the results of reflective self-reports of the value of this work. In part, this is because we accept as valid and significant the
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The preparation of this review was supported by the Lastinger Center for Learning at the University of Florida. An earlier version was presented at the National School Reform Research Forum, January 2006.