Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change

• In terms of location, most respondents did not mind whether the PL occurred in school or offsite(61%), but 31% preferred the latter.• On timing, when asked if they preferred that PL was held out of school hours, 52% said No, 6.5%said Yes, and 41% did not mind.• The most commonly experienced PL formats were workshop discussions with colleagues froma range of schools (68%), an outside speaker followed by discussion (68%), workshop discussionwithin the school (60%) and conference attendance (48.5%). 22% had participated in onlineinformation technology resources.• The most preferred PL formats were workshopping with colleagues (63%), listening to speakersexpert in teachers’ subject field (62%), listening to other teachers’ speak about their work andideas (52%), and visiting other schools or educational settings (45%). Use of online informationtechnology resources was preferred by 17% of respondents.• Change in practice as a result of PL was rated as significant by 23% of respondents, ‘a bit’ by63% and not really by 12.5%.• Credit for academic credentials was reported for all or most PL by 5% of respondents, but 78%reported that none of their PL was credited in this way.• Hindrances to PL participation were other work priorities (42%), cost (29%), distance issues(23.5%) and lack of available activities suited to needs (19%). For teachers in small towns,distance issues were mentioned by 72% and cost by 35%.Teachers’ preferences and evaluations of professional learning in many respects tend to support thefindings of research into the most effective professional learning: namely, that PL should be clearlylinked to practice and goals, should work through collaboration, and engage teachers in challengingthinking over sustained periods of time.Professional learning communitiesThe emphasis on collaboration and inquiry in research on teacher PL has led to a focus on professionallearning communities (PLCs), not only as the chief mode of implementation of PL, but also as a basis forsustaining successful educational practice within schools in general. The scope of the potential of PLCsis illustrated by Stoll et al. (2006 p. 221) in the conclusion of their wide-ranging literature review of PLCs:International evidence suggests that educational reform’s progress depends on teachers’ individualand collective capacity and its link with school-wide capacity for promoting pupils’ learning.Building capacity is therefore critical. Capacity is a complex blend of motivation, skill, positivelearning, organisational conditions and culture, and infrastructure of support. Put together, it givesindividuals, groups, whole school communities and school systems the power to get involved inand sustain learning over time. Developing professional learning communities (PLCs) appears tohold considerable promise for capacity building for sustainable improvement.Based to a large extent on the early work on learning organisations, notably Senge’s (1990) The FifthDiscipline, and the work of Lave and Wenger (1991) on communities of practice, PLCs are becomingthe most commonly used form of collaborative inquiry. The approach encapsulates the strengths of PLthrough a culture of inquiry identified in the literature by Colbert et al. (2008, p. 138):A culture of inquiry supports the use of data to evidence success, identify strengths andweaknesses, and measure progress toward goals. Cultures of inquiry can provide teacherswith opportunities to dialogue about learning as learning relates to lesson planning, studentachievement, and student work ... teachers have the opportunity to give and receive feedbackabout learning amongst their colleagues.A range of studies has shown the effectiveness of PLCs as an approach to PL, both in terms of teacherpractice and student learning (Cordingley, Bell, Thomasonand Firth 2005; Doecke et al. 2008; Fulton,Doerr, and Britton 2010; Giles and Hargreaves 2006; Goddard, Goddard and Tschannen-MoranProfessional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change: Literature Review 14