Influence of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) on Teacher Professional Development (TPD) in Basic Schools in the Tamale Metropolis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47941/jep.2272Keywords:
Professional Learning Communities, Collaboration, Motivation, Learning Outcomes, Education.Abstract
Purpose: This study aimed to examine the influence of professional learning communities (PLCs) on teacher professional development in basic schools in the Tamale Metropolis.
Methodology: The study employed a qualitative research approach. A case study design was employed, and 20 teachers, head teachers, and school improvement support officers (SISO), were interviewed. This study used a self-constructed semi-structured interview (SSI) guide to collect data. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data.
Findings: The study revealed that professional learning communities significantly enhance skills, knowledge, and collaborative learning in teachers’ professional development.
Unique contribution to theory, practice, and policy: The study recommends proactive measures, urging educational authorities, particularly the Ghana Education Service, to enhance awareness and understanding of the need for organizing professional learning communities among basic school teachers in the Tamale metropolis.
Downloads
References
Abakah, E. (2019). Continuing professional development (CPD) of teachers in Ghana: An exploration of basic school teachers’ practices and experiences ( Unpublished doctorial thesis). University of Technology, Sydney.
Abakah, E. (2022). Exploring the continuing professional development (CPD) needs of basic schoolteachers in Ghana. International Journal of Teacher Education and Professional Development (IJTEPD), 5(1), 1–15.
Abakah, E., Widin, J., & Ameyaw, E. K. (2022). Continuing professional development (CPD) practices among basic school teachers in the central region of Ghana. Sage Open, 12(2), 21582440221094596.
Antinluoma, M., Ilomäki, L., & Toom, A. (2021). Practices of professional learning communities. Frontiers in Education, 6, 89.
Bentley, T. (2012). Learning beyond the classroom: Education for a changing world. Routledge.
Buttram, J. L., & Farley-Ripple, E. N. (2016). The role of principals in professional learning communities. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 15(2), 192–220.
Carey, C. J. (2022). Professional Learning Communities: A Decade of Implementation. College of Saint Elizabeth.
Carpenter, D. (2017). Collaborative inquiry and the shared workspace of professional learning communities. International Journal of Educational Management, 31(7), 1069–1091.
Chua, W. C., Thien, L. M., Lim, S. Y., Tan, C. S., & Guan, T. E. (2020). Unveiling the practices and challenges of professional learning community in a Malaysian Chinese secondary school. Sage Open, 10(2), 2158244020925516.
Dampson, D. G. (2021). Effectiveness of Professional Learning Communities in Ghanaian Basic Schools through the Lenses of Sociocultural Theory. Journal of Educational Issues, 7(2), 338–354.
Darling-Hammond, L. (2017). Teacher education around the world: What can we learn from international practice? European Journal of Teacher Education, 40(3), 291–309.
Darling-Hammond, L., Hyler, M. E., & Gardner, M. (2017). Effective teacher professional development.
Doody, O., & Noonan, M. (2013). Preparing and conducting interviews to collect data. Nurse Researcher, 20(5).
Du Plessis, J., & Muzaffar, I. (2010). Professional Learning Communities in the Teachers’ College: A Resource for Teacher Educators. EQUIP1.
Essel, R., Badu, E., Owusu-Boateng, W., & Saah, A. A. (2009). In-service training: An essential element in the professional development of teachers. Malaysian Journal of Distance Education, 11(2), 55–64.
Harris, A., Jones, M., & Huffman, J. B. (2017). Teachers leading educational reform: The power of professional learning communities. Routledge.
Hiller, J. (2016). Epistemological foundations of objectivist and interpretivist research.
Huusela, K. (2020). Developing a professional learning community in a Ghanaian School: Teachers’ Perceptions of Important Characteristics of PLC.
Jamaludin, A., Hung, D., Toh, Y., & Shaari, I. (2022). Teacher Learning Communities as Catalytic Levers for Educational Innovations in Singapore Schools. In Diversifying Schools: Systemic Catalysts for Educational Innovations in Singapore (pp. 211–233). Springer.
Juma, S., Lehtomäki, E., & Naukkarinen, A. (2017). Developing inclusive pre-service and in-service teacher education: Insights from Zanzibar primary school teachers. International Journal of Whole Schooling, 13(3).
Mensah, D. K. D., & Jonathan, A. W. (2016). Teacher professional development: Keys to basic school teachers’ curriculum practice success in Ghana. International Journal of Interdisciplinary Research Method, 3(2), 33–41.
Omar, C. (2014). The need for in-service training for teachers and its effectiveness in school. International Journal for Innovation Education and Research, 2(11), 1–9.
Poortman, C. L., Brown, C., & Schildkamp, K. (2022). Professional learning networks: a conceptual model and research opportunities. Educational Research, 64(1), 95–112.
Prenger, R., Poortman, C. L., & Handelzalts, A. (2017). Factors influencing teachers’ professional development in networked professional learning communities. Teaching and Teacher Education, 68, 77–90.
Priya, A. (2021). Case study methodology of qualitative research: Key attributes and navigating the conundrums in its application. Sociological Bulletin, 70(1), 94–110.
Tang, K. N. (2020). The importance of soft skills acquisition by teachers in higher education institutions. Kasetsart Journal of Social Sciences, 41(1), 22–27.
Williams, D. J. (2013). Urban education and professional learning communities. Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, 79(2), 31.
Younker, C. S. (2021). Teacher Perceptions of How Relationships and School Culture Sustain Professional Learning Communities. Concordia University Chicago.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Dr. Edward Bonnituo Kankpog, Mr. Muniru Sulemana, Dr. Cecilia Alimatu Issaka
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.