Teachers' Professional Community in Restructuring Schools

Toward Conceptual Clarity

“…Studies on PLCs also place a differential emphasis on the importance of the dimensions that constitute PLCs. For example, the same dimension (e.g., leadership, time to meet and talk) can be treated as one of the key dimensions of PLCs (Hord, 2004), but in other studies is referred to as a supportive condition (Louis et al, 1996).…”

“…In most studies, researchers used factor analyses to demonstrate that the different PLC dimensions could be distinguished as separate factors (e.g., Bryk, Camburn, & Louis, 1999;Hipp, 2005;Visscher & Witziers, 2004;Wahlstrom & Louis, 2008), while in other studies, researchers used a standardized index that represented the sum of separate factors to operationalize professional community (e.g., Louis et al, 1996;Louis & Marks, 1998;Marks & Louis, 1999). In only one study did researchers use second-order factor analyses to determine whether the separate dimensions measured a single underlying organizational construct, professional community (Bryk et al, 1999).…”

“…A second often-cited dimension of interpersonal capacity may be described as collective learning (Hipp, 2005;Hord, 1997Hord, , 2004. This dimension comprises several elements related to collective learning and applications of collective learning, such as group learning and external enquiry orientation (Bolam et al, 2005), reflective dialogue (Bryk et al, 1999;Louis & Marks, 1998;Louis et al, 1996), and consultation and cooperation (Visscher & Witziers, 2004). A third commonly cited dimension of interpersonal capacity in support of PLCs is shared practices Hord, 1997Hord, , 2004Mitchell & Sackney, 2000).…”

“…Researchers employ a variety of terms to describe how teachers' individual and collective learning is embedded in schools and linked with school-wide capacity for improvement, such as community of practice, organizational (shared, collaborative, collective) learning, professional community, (school) learning community, and school-based teacher learning community (Lee & Smith, 1996;Louis & Marks, 1998;Louis, Marks, & Kruse, 1996;McLaughlin & Talbert, 2001;Mitchell & Sackney, 2000;Newmann, King, & Youngs, 2000). Many studies on PLCs differ significantly on the dimensions and capacities used to conceptualize them.…”

Using social network methods to study school leadership

“…An extensive empirical knowledge base suggests that school leadership, often somewhat narrowly focused on school principals, can influence those in-school conditions that enable improvement in teaching (Leithwood & Montgomery, 1982;Bossert, Dwyer, Rowan, & Lee, 1982;Hallinger & Murphy, 1985;Louis, Marks, & Kruse, 1996;Rosenholtz, 1989) and indirectly affect student achievement (Hallinger & Heck, 1996;Leithwood, Louis, Anderson & Wahlstrom, 2004). Perhaps responding to this evidence, philanthropic and government agencies have invested more energy and resources on developing school leadership, typically though not always focused on school principal preparation and professional development programs.…”