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Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 13, Issue 1, Article 3 (Jun., 2012) |
Professional learning community, (PLC), in general, focus on the process of learning for improvement and change in schools (Alberta Education, 2006; Kruse, Louis & Bryk, 1994). A PLC consists of a group of people who take “an active, reflective, collaborative, learning-oriented and growth-promoting approach toward both the mysteries and the problems of teaching and learning” (Mitchell & Sackney, 2001, p.2). A PLC is also defined in terms of an “educator’s commitment to working collaboratively in ongoing processes of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better result for the students they serve” (DuFour, DuFour & Eaker, 2008, p.14). In essence, a PLC is explicitly a place where caring, responsible people nourish others’ learning in the context of authentic interactions (Manzaro, 2003; Miller, 2000). In most cases, participants involved in a PLC become more intellectually mature and responsible for their learning. They like to develop the capacity to care about the learning of their peers and are focused on collegiality and professionalism (Manzaro, 2003). Moreover, PLCs offer teachers the possibility to connect with one another within and across the school in order to improve students’ learning outcomes and their own professional learning (Roberts & Pruitt, 2009).
