This study investigated the level of professional learning communities (PLCs), teachers' professional development (PD), and their relationship in Greek primary schools. This quantitative survey, which included 428 Greek public primary schools, yielded 674 and 571 responses regarding PLCs and PD, respectively. Hord's five PLC dimensions were…

Networked approaches to professional learning have been shown to offer broad influence and unique benefits to teachers' continuing development. However, despite decades of research into the professional learning community (PLC) approach within single schools, there is a paucity of research about network PLCs and a lack of models for effective…

There is continuing uncertainty about the nature of teacher professional learning using social networking websites (SNWs) and how using these platforms influences teacher practice. Findings from the authors' small-scale, qualitative study in Australia into English teacher use of one global SNW for professional learning showed participant…

This article reports on a study of a teacher professional development (TPD) course that combined digital courseware with a face-to-face professional learning community. The aim of the course, implemented in a developing country, was to improve teacher knowledge and practice in early childhood literacy and numeracy. Using interview and…

Professional learning communities (PLCs) are a powerful school improvement strategy designed to advance teacher professional development. Protocols are tools for structuring teacher conversations in PLCs. In this article the authors present the results of a qualitative study of teacher perspectives about the value and effects of systematic…

Many studies highlight the importance of socio-emotional aspects in professional communities of practice (CoP). This study aims to understand how these aspects are articulated with the professional content. An online professional CoP has been subjected to analysis by following a sequential exploratory mixed-methods inductive model combining the…

The purpose of this narrative study is to trace the process whereby Israeli Academic College of Education principals lead Professional Learning Communities (PLC) for teacher educators. The focus is on the unique situation in which various different roles (administrator/facilitator/learner) are integrated during this process. Seven semi-structured…

Teacher autonomy refers to a teacher's empowerment in the classroom, school, and community, leading to instructional efficacy and professionalism. Despite its proven contribution to pedagogical decision-making, studies reveal that many teachers lack sufficient autonomy mainly owing to institutional constraints. It is suggested that teachers…

The authors explored five in-service teachers' experiences of professional development (PD) in Studies in Writing (30 ECTS programme at a Finnish open university) they participated in during their leisure time. Data consist of the teachers' creative writings and semi-structured interviews. Reflexive thematic analysis was employed to holistically…

Decades of research indicate teacher dissatisfaction with traditional professional development (PD), while a growing body of research literature indicates the value of heutagogical and andragogical learning in PD. This case study examines the experiences of 43 preservice teachers as they took part in professional development book clubs as part of…

This exploratory case study examined two approaches to school improvement with teachers from an urban area of Ecuador. An all-day workshop with elementary-level teachers focused on how to improve teaching utilizing network improvement communities (NICs) and the plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycle. Hands-on activities helped participants reflect on…

The authors argue that the professional learning practices of teachers in precarious employment may have a significant impact upon their understandings of specific policy reforms. The analysis considers a teacher's understandings of learning about a new policy in light of the various 'epistemological resources' he brought to bear to his learning…

Continuous professional development is necessary for teachers to stay current with teaching and learning. However, teachers face tensions when they engage in such activities. From the sociocultural and distributed leadership perspectives, this case study investigates how a school, recognised for its excellence in staff well-being and development,…

In 2017, the participants of a higher education professional development (PD) working group (meitheal) met face-to-face and remotely to examine the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (NFTL) Framework for Professional Development. Through collaboration and mentorship, members of the meitheal successfully…

Early-career faculty (ECF) are faced with maintaining excellence in teaching and research for tenure. However, many enter academia with little or no teaching experience. Madison Teaching and Learning Excellence, a year-long professional development program, was designed to mitigate these pressures and help faculty become fast, efficient, and…