SAMEN WIJS PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES Prof. Dr. E. Verbiest 1

SAMEN WIJS 2 What is a professional learning community? Why (should we develop) professional learning communities? (innovation theory – effect of a professional learning community). Assumptions of a professional learning community. Developing a professional learning community. How to think about (how to conceptualize) development of a professional learning community? How to develop a professional learning community (research project) Discussion OVERVIEW

SAMEN WIJS 3 A professional learning community is ……………….

SAMEN WIJS 4 PROFESSIONALISM: - Interest of students - improvement - knowledge base PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY Three fundamental concepts LEARNING: - of students - of professionals - individual, collective COMMUNITY: - shared vision - shared responsability - mutual recognition

SAMEN WIJS Personal capacity active, reflective and critical (re)construction of knowledge currency Interpersonal capacity shared values and shared vision on learning and teaching collective learning and shared practices Organisational capacity supportive structural conditions supportive cultural conditions shared, supportive and stimulating leadership PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY 5

SAMEN WIJS 6 Outside view: implementation of external developed reform designs in schools Research Developing Diffusion Two fundamental paradigms in innovation theory

SAMEN WIJS 7 Limited results Mutual adaption Local factors (motivation, beliefs, capacity of teachers, culture, school leader…) are important Policy cannot mandate what matters Deprofessionalising Evaluation of innovations according to the outside view

SAMEN WIJS 8 8 Outside view: implementation of external developed reform designs in schools Inside view: developing capacity of schools to transform themselves into supportive environments for teacher learning and change. Two fundamental paradigms in innovation theory

SAMEN WIJS 9 Do professional learning communities work? Few research Modest evidence Indirect positive effect on students results Through the creation of an innovative climate in the school Positive effect on teachers well being in the school

SAMEN WIJS 10 Assumptions of a professional learning community. 1. Knowledge is situated in the day-to-day lived experiences of teachers and best understood through critical reflection with others who share the same experience. 2. Actively engaging teachers in PLCs will increase their professional knowledge and enhance student learning.

SAMEN WIJS 11 KNOWLEDGE FOR TEACHERS KNOWLEDGE OF TEACHERS KNOWLEDGE BASE OF THE PROFESSIONAL

SAMEN WIJS 12 KNOWLEDGE FOR TEACHERS Theoretical knowledge (codified in books) Based on research Basis for skills en didactical approaches Evidence based teaching

SAMEN WIJS 13 KNOWLEDGE OF TEACHERS (practical knowledge) Developed on the basis of experiences Implicit knowledge Influential Vulnerable

SAMEN WIJS 14 VULNERABILITY OF PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE Ambiguity of stimuli Interpretation in the context of frame of references Psychological processes Apprenticeship of observation Routines

SAMEN WIJS 15 VULNERABILITY OF PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE REFLECTION COLLECTIVE LEARNING IN A PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY

SAMEN WIJS 16 The opportunity to process the meaning and implications of new learning with ones colleagues appears to be fundamental to the change process, where that change impacts positively on student outcomes. Participation in structured professional groups was, however, associated with neutral or negative outcomes for students in several studies. These studies show that it is possible for teachers to be given generous amounts of time to collaborate and talk together, only to have the status quo reinforced, with change messages misunderstood, misrepresented, or resisted. PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY Timperley et al. 2007:

SAMEN WIJS 17 Timperley et al. 2007: CONDITIONS FOR LEARNING IN A PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY High but realistic expectations of students and believing they could make a difference. Norms of collective responsibility for students Analysing the impact of teaching on student learning. Challenging problematic beliefs and testing the efficacy of competing ideas. Bringing in new perspectives by external experts

SAMEN WIJS 18 THE C.O.P.L. - PROJECT (CAPACITIY BUILDING IN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES) CAPACITEITSONWIKKELING IN PROFESSIONELE LEERGEMEENSCHAPPEN SUPPORT and RESEARCH

SAMEN WIJS 19 Research questions 1.How to account for the development of a school as a professional learning community 2.Which interventions contribute to the development of a school as a professional learning community? Interventions: Sources: external / internal action / event Focus: are the interventions directed at the development of the three capacities? Which interventions are contributing to the development of the schools as a PLC? What is the role of the school leader

SAMEN WIJS 20 THE C.O.P.L. - PROJECT Approach / Methods 1.Quantitative (questionnaire – dimensions of a PLC) – 6 schools in the project 89 other schools ( benchmarking) Pre and post test 2.Qualitative (interviews - dimensions of a PLC) 4 schools (most successful) schools in the project At the begin and at the end of the project, with school leaders and teachers Transcription, coding, applying codes >> 4 whit-in case analyses and a cross case analysis.

SAMEN WIJS 21 September 2005 – June COPL-project Sep Jan Jul Jan Jul Oct Jan Jun Theoretical study Developing questionnaire and interviews Questionnaire 89 school (survey) Questionnaire 6 project schools Sem Consultation, Coaching Interviews 6 schools Interviews 4 schools

SAMEN WIJS 22 1.How to think about development of a professional learning community? One answer: thinking in stages of development

SAMEN WIJS 23 CAPACITY STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT not yet initiated implementedincorporated Personal capacity Interpersonal capacity Organisational capacity

SAMEN WIJS 24 1.How to think about development of a professional learning community? One answer: thinking in stages of development Another answer: No stages Three different concepts: Broadening Deepening Anchoring

SAMEN WIJS 25 CAPACITY / DIMENSION DEEPENINGDEEPENING ANCHORINGANCHORING BROADENINGBROADENING LESS MORE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SCHOOL AS A PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY

SAMEN WIJS 26 THE C.O.P.L. - PROJECT 1.How to account for the development 2.Interventions: Sources? Event Action Internal External Internal event External action Internal action External event Internal action by school leader

SAMEN WIJS 27 1.How to account for the development 2.Interventions: Sources? Focus: are the interventions directed at the development of the three capacities? THE C.O.P.L. - PROJECT Almost every intervention focused on developing one or more capacities Every capacity influenced by one ore more interventions The school leaders are using deliberately the concept of a PLC as frame-work for selecting interventions

SAMEN WIJS 28 THE C.O.P.L. - PROJECT Frame of Analyses 1.How to account for the development 2.Interventions Sources Focus: Which interventions are contributing to the development of the schools as a PLC?

SAMEN WIJS 29 Professional development Re-organisation of the teaching process and making teachers depending on each other Independency Interdependency story aid and sharing joint work telling assistance Effective interventions

SAMEN WIJS 30 Professional development Re-organisation of the teaching process and making teachers depending on each other Connecting the development as a PLC to the running innovations and actions in the school Re-organisation of the structures for meetings and CPD Leadership Effective interventions

SAMEN WIJS 31 THE C.O.P.L. - PROJECT 1.How to account for the development 2.Interventions Sources Focus Interventions 3.Role of the school leader?

SAMEN WIJS 32 THE C.O.P.L. - PROJECT Role of the school leader In schools most developed as a PLC, three roles are fulfilled CULTURE BUILDER EDUCATOR ARCHITECT

SAMEN WIJS 33 CULTURE BUILDER THE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL LEADER developing and disseminating a shared vision and sense of purpose, aimed at the improvement of the pupils learning stressing the professional standards and expectations stimulating trustfull relations and tolerance for errors stimulating innovative attitudes and experiments providing individual psychological support involving the team members in CPD using rituals and symbols to underline the values sought

SAMEN WIJS 34 modelling the teachers actions instructional leadership providing teachers with information regarding the pupils progress maintain a professional dialogue and stimulate teachers intellectually systematically supervise teachers learning processes help to set feasible targets for teachers train staff members and teams in the skills required for learning develop leadership EDUCATOR THE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL LEADER

SAMEN WIJS 35 making space, time and money available for learning, co- operation, CPD developing systems providing teachers with information developing shared and distributed leadership draw up selectional and assessment criteria that stress individual and collective learning capacities developing basic rules and procedures for communication, the organisation, curriculum and professional development forming sub-teams in (bigger) schools ARCHITECT THE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL LEADER

SAMEN WIJS 36 THE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL LEADER