A Comparison Of High School Teachers Perceptions In A Large Metropolitan Midwestern County Across Six Different Dimensions Associated With Professional Learning Communities
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| Author | : Larry D. Gray II |
| Publisher | : |
| Total Pages | : 262 |
| Release | : 2012 |
| Genre | : High school teachers |
| ISBN | : |
This study examined differences in perception of teachers in high schools that had implemented PLCs and high schools that had not implemented PLCs. The purpose of the study was to determine whether there were statistically significant differences in the perception of teachers in the two seperate groups in terms of how they incorporated instructional strategies that were associated with PLCs. The sample from which teachers were selected included high school teachers from a large Midwestern county. The Professional Learning Community Assessment-Revised (PLCA-R; Olivier, Hipp, & Huffman, 2010) survey instrument was used to measure the perceptions of teachers across six different domains of a PLC. This study attempted to determine whether: (1) there were statistically significant differences in the perceptions of teachers in school with and without professional learning communities; and (2) gender, ethnicity, number of years teaching, and curricular content influenced the perception of teachers on the six domains associated with a professional learning community. Utilizing an ex post facto design, the researcher administered two seperate instruments, the PLCA-R and a demographic survey to test the five research questions. Of the 1,143 instruments uploaded to a secured website, 221 teachers (or 19.3%) completed the survey instruments. A one-way MANOVA was used to determine if there was a statistically significant difference in the perception of teachers in the two types of schools. The 0.05 level of confidence was used for determining statistical significance. Findings in this study indicate that teachers in schools without PLCs had more positive perceptions regarding PLCs than their corresponding counterparts. In addition, gender and content area taught did not appear to have any influence on teachers' perceptions of PLCs. Consideration should be given to expanding the sample size to include school districts that are more representative of school districts in the state and nation. Teacher training institutions should consider including the foundations of PLCs and how PLCs should be implemented in their curriculum. Professional organizations should take a more proactive role in providing continuous training to practicing teachers in districts that implement PLCs.
| Author | : Erika Schlichter |
| Publisher | : |
| Total Pages | : 120 |
| Release | : 2015 |
| Genre | : Education, Secondary |
| ISBN | : 9781339069937 |
The mandate for school reform is becoming more urgent as schools increasingly focus on improving student learning. This mandate for reform has produced a need for effective school improvement structures to organize staff efforts to improve student learning. The professional learning communities (PLC) structure has been widely touted among practitioners as a valid model for instituting school reform. The popularity of this structure has grown to such an extent that its impact has been diluted through lack of understanding, partial implementation, and lack of focus on student learning outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship among different components of the PLC framework when it is implemented at the high school level. In addition, this study examined how teacher demographic characteristics, such as gender and longevity in the profession, impact teachers' perceptions of PLCs. These relationships were measured using means difference testing and correlation analyses. The significance of the study lies in its usefulness to those attempting to implement the PLC structure as a school improvement measure. This study identifies relationships among the components of PLCs and how teachers perceive the structure, thus providing direction so practitioners will be able to more effectively target their resources for implementation.
| Author | : Jennifer Metz Hollingsworth |
| Publisher | : |
| Total Pages | : 117 |
| Release | : 2020 |
| Genre | : Professional learning communities |
| ISBN | : |
The purpose of this study was to compare the influence of school level to schools' perceptions of school leadership, instructional practice and support, and professional development, components of professional learning communities. Participants included traditional public schools serving students in kindergarten through twelfth grade in North Carolina. Instrumentation for the study included select questions from the North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions survey and the Active LEA (School District) School Report from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Designed as an ex-post facto causal comparative study, a two-sample t-test between percents was used to analyze the data. No significant differences in teacher perceptions in any of the studied components of professional learning communities when comparing elementary school to middle school, elementary school to high school, or middle school to high school. The researcher failed to reject all nine hypotheses for the study indicating that while the methods teachers use to meet the needs of the learners and the learners vary, the practices involving professional learning communities are perceived to be the same among North Carolina public school teachers. This study aims to add quantitative support to the existing literature for implementation of improving upon professional learning communities in schools. Recommendations for further study include widening study participants to include private schools, charter schools, and those that do not serve traditional students, examining locality as a factor, including results from prior survey administrations and survey administrations since 2016 to look for trend data, and using teacher demographics as a variable to examine teacher perceptions.
| Author | : Andrew T. Grider |
| Publisher | : |
| Total Pages | : 272 |
| Release | : 2008 |
| Genre | : |
| ISBN | : 9780549600787 |
The school division selected for this study has undergone intensive training for the last three years in order for each of the 25 elementary, middle, and high schools to become professional learning communities. All teachers in the division were surveyed electronically using the Professional Learning Community Survey developed for the study and the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale, and a 50% response rate was obtained.
| Author | : Teresa Allen Bitterman |
| Publisher | : |
| Total Pages | : 117 |
| Release | : 2010 |
| Genre | : Electronic dissertations |
| ISBN | : |
The purpose of this study was to examine teacher perceptions of professional learning communities in three middle schools. This research examined the perceived impact of professional learning communities on teaching and on student learning. One question guided this research. "What are the teachers' perceptions of seventh grade learning communities' impact on teaching and on student learning in science?" This study used a multiple methods design to examine evidence about relationships among professional learning communities and teaching and student learning. A survey modified from an earlier research study was used (Bolam, McMahon, Stoll, & Thomas 2005). This survey was administered to the teachers who are part of seventh grade science learning communities from each of three participating middle schools. The results from this survey were used to describe teacher perceptions about the use of learning communities within each school. A purposeful sample of candidates was then selected for interviews. Through the use of the two data sources, surveys (see Appendix A) and interviews (see Appendix B), the researcher found four common themes that support the idea of a professional learning community and the effects teachers perceived as contributing to successful teaching and learning. The four themes that emerged included the importance of learning trends, organizational support for a learning community, enquiry orientation, and the need for provision of planning and development.
| Author | : Troy Robert Parks |
| Publisher | : |
| Total Pages | : 326 |
| Release | : 2014 |
| Genre | : Electronic books |
| ISBN | : |
It is important to support teachers and administrators in the commitments, understandings, and skills necessary to lead schools where professional learning communities (PLCs) are well established (Saphier, 2005).When schools operate as PLCs, educational professionals increase their capacity to create the results that they truly desire; new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, collective goals are set free, and people continually strive to learn together (Senge, 1990). The purpose of this study was to explore teachers' perceptions of PLCs in a cross-section of eight elementary schools in a large, urban school district in the Western United States. Data were gathered through the Professional Learning Communities Assessment-Revised (PLCA-R). The PLCA-R assesses perceptions of the PLCs based on six subscales: (1) Shared values and vision, (2) Shared and supportive leadership, (3) Collective learning and application, (4) Shared personal practice, (5) Supportive conditions-relationships, and (6) Supportive conditions-structures. Each of the subscales was rated on Likert scale ranging from 1 = Strongly Disagree to 4 = Strongly Agree; these subscales and a total score of the subscales were used as dependent variables. The independent variables that were tested in this study were: the number of years a teacher has taught, the highest level of education attainment, years teaching at their school, elementary primary grade (K-3) versus upper grade (4-6) teachers, and score differences among the eight schools. One-way ANOVAs and t tests were conducted using the independent and dependent variables in order to answer the research questions and to understand if any significant differences existed among the variables. If differences were indicated by ANOVA, post-hoc analyses were conducted to detail where the differences were found. No significant differences in PLCA-R scores were found for highest level of education and primary versus upper grades teachers. Significant differences in the PLCA-R scores were found for the independent variables of years a teacher has taught, years teaching at this school, and among the eight schools. In addition, responses to the open-ended questions suggested that teachers enjoy collaboration and want more time to work with each other. This conclusion is aligned with several studies and current research on teacher collaboration.
| Author | : Angela Maria Mitchell |
| Publisher | : |
| Total Pages | : 174 |
| Release | : 2014 |
| Genre | : High school teachers |
| ISBN | : |
"With an increased focus on school accountability for students' test scores and achievement, professional learning communities are a viable solution to improving learning outcomes for students. The purpose of this study was to examine high school teachers' perceptions of the influence of professional learning communities on teachers' instructional practices, their learning through professional development, and student achievement"--Leaf iii.
| Author | : Kathryn E. Kelton |
| Publisher | : |
| Total Pages | : 150 |
| Release | : 2010 |
| Genre | : Middle school teachers |
| ISBN | : |
This research study was conducted to determine whether teachers' perceptions of climate within a school had a significant influence on the dimensions that support a community of professional learners. Teachers from ten middle schools in one central Florida school district completed a combined survey design which included questions pertaining to both climate characteristics and Professional Learning Community (PLC) dimensions. Foundational theories regarding both learning organizations and organizational climate were explored. Recent research on the development of professional learning communities and school climate was also examined. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed to investigate each research question; these statistics included Spearman rho correlations, multiple regressions, and chi-square analyses. Findings demonstrated that the null hypotheses were rejected or partially rejected for each research question. Significant relationships were found between teachers' perceptions of school climate and the dimensions of a PLC. Of the demographic variables, only years of teaching experience was found to be not significantly related to the school climate dimensions. The implications of these results validate the importance of building a climate of supportive principal behavior and committed and collegial teacher behaviors, as demonstrated by the significant relationship of these characteristics to schools exhibiting higher degrees of the dimensions that constitute a PLC. Educational stakeholders wishing to develop schools into job-embedded communities of learners with evidence of the five dimensions (shared leadership, shared vision, collective creativity, peer review and supportive conditions) must attend to developing the climate behaviors necessary for that to occur. As demonstrated by the research results, establishing an appropriate school climate that promotes professional interaction, support, and teacher commitment to students is a strong place to begin.
| Author | : Heather D. Kenney |
| Publisher | : |
| Total Pages | : 94 |
| Release | : 2008 |
| Genre | : Educational change |
| ISBN | : |
This quantitative quasi-experimental study focused on the school reform initiative, Professional Learning Communities (PLC) proposed by DuFour and Eaker. The study investigated teachers' perceptions during the implementation of the Professional Learning Communities Model, a school reform initiative, to determine if teachers' perceptions changed during implementation. Certified teachers in three elementary schools were surveyed utilizing the Stages of Concern Questionnaire developed by George, Hall, & Stiegelbauer (2006). The survey was administered in November 2007 and in April 2008 to evaluate the differences in teachers' perceptions during the implementation process. Data collection consisted of comparing 14 sets of means to determine if the differences were significant. Conclusions found significant differences between many pairs of means, concluding that teachers' perceptions changed during the November and April Questionnaire administration.
| Author | : Kyra Lee Rhyne |
| Publisher | : |
| Total Pages | : 129 |
| Release | : 2011 |
| Genre | : Electronic dissertations |
| ISBN | : |
The purpose of this study was to describe teacher perceptions of the effects of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), as designed by common planning of core subjects among high school teachers, on teacher efficacy in the public schools of North Georgia. The study sought to answer the following research questions: (1) Is there a difference in teacher selfefficacy as measured by the Teacher's Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) between high school teachers who participate in Professional Learning Communities linked with the organizational structure of common core planning and those who do not? and (2) What differences exist among teachers' description of the effects of common core planning on their teaching practices and on their self-efficacy? The first question was answered using the TSES. The second research question was answered through interviews with a purposefully selected sample of teachers. This research used mixed methods. Survey and interview data exploring teacher's educational experience in Professional Learning Communities designed with and without common core planning were collected. Survey results provide evidence of a positive relationship between classroom related components of teacher efficacy and Professional Learning Communities linked with the organizational strategy of common core planning among the unit of analysis--the teachers. This study added to the existing body of knowledge about the use of Professional Learning Communities in high schools. Implications for researchers, policy analysis, and practitioners were identified.
