Tensions experienced by teachers when participating in a professional learning community

Abstract

This article explores which tensions teachers experience during one year of participation in a professional learning community (PLC). Tensions are more or less temporal negative feelings of stress, loss of self-efficacy or anxiety caused by conflicting personal features and workplace affordances. A qualitative study including two semi-structured interviews with 18 teachers participating for one year in a PLC revealed that 15 out of 18 teachers experience one or more tensions. More specifically, eight different tensions are identified, in which tensions concerning high work pressure and a lack of shared learning are most commonly reported. The results further indicate temporal, contextual and personal nature of tensions. It is concluded that tensions are often caused by negatively perceived learning cultures in schools.

The Reflection of Professional Learning Community of Educational Institution Networks focusing on the Sufficiency Economy in Songkhla, Thailand

“…In recent decades, the issue of the professional learning community (PLC) has developed quite broadly as one form of reform in the field of education in various countries [18][19][20] and also at multiple levels [18,21,22] and scientific field [23][24]. There are several aspects discussed from the results of establishing PLC based on school networks.…”

“…Communities trust educational management. Understanding each others in the PLC program is crucial to attaining professional development [21,25].…”

Examining Professional Learning Communities in National-Type Chinese Primary Schools in Perak, Malaysia

“…PLC is a complex form of learning that involves the engagement of the teachers collectively and collaboratively, which can cause feelings of tension. Tensions are seen as anxiety, stress or loss of self-efficacy caused by conflicting workplace affordances and personal features of teachers, and can slow down the pace of promoting PLCs in school communities (Billett, 2009;Vangrieken et al, 2017;Schaap et al 2018).…”

Organization, Methods and Analysis of Research and Experimental Work to Determine the Level of Professional Development of Heads of Physics-Mathematics Clubs of Out-of-School Education

“…Нині в педагогічній літературі зустрічається чимало праць, присвячених проблемі професійного розвитку особистості, що висвітлені в підручниках з педагогіки і психології, авто-рами яких є Ю. Бабанський [3], А. Бойко, М. Бирка [7], І. Вітенко, А. Бодальов [5], Л. Виготський [21], І. Підласий [14], В. Семиченко, М. Фіцула, І. Харламов та інші. Проблемі професійного розвитку вчителя присвячені дослідження сучасних зарубіжних науковців, серед яких: Б. Авалос [18], Ц. Ґірван [8], М. Кеннеді [11], Р. Лофтхоус [12], Х. Мізелл [13], Х. Счаап [16], К. Седова [17] та інші. Більш близькі до нашого дослідження та актуальні праці, у яких наголошується на проблемі якості позашкільної освіти та забезпечення її висококваліфікованими кадрами.…”