SASHMITAA JIWA (PISMP JUNE 2018 TESL 5)

TASK 1: ACADEMIC WRITING

According to The Glossary of Education Reform, PLC or Professional Learning

Community can be defined as a “group of educators that meets regularly, shares

expertise, and works collaboratively to improve teaching skills and the academic

performance of students.” From the definition, the purpose of PLC is clearly stated which

is to improve and sharpen a teacher’s teaching skills and the pupils’ academic

performance as well. PLCs promote reflective practice and help to “cultivate working

relationships with other teachers, being responsive to student needs and interests, and

investigating the strengths and weaknesses of one’s own practice” (Jones, 2010). The

reflection which the teachers do based on their teaching and learning will then allow them

to come up with suggestions or improvements to further enhance their lessons.

Hammond and McLaughlin (1995) state that helping teachers rethink their practice

necessitates professional development that involves teachers where the dual capacities

of both teaching and learning and creates new visions of what, when, and how teachers

should learn. There are five implementation strategies in Professional Learning

Community in schools namely reflective dialogue, de-privatisation of practice, collective

inquiry towards pupils’ learning, collaborative teams, and norms and shared values.

The first strategy in Professional Learning Strategy is Reflective Dialogue. Reflective

dialogues can be said as a type of discussion which is strategically used to build a

community, establish individual reflection and widen the individual listening capacity

(Voelker, D. J, n.d.). There are four components in reflective dialogues which are book

clubs, using discussion protocols, video critiques of teaching moments and also study

groups. Study groups are an activity where teachers learn or discuss a specific topic. For

example, the often-debatable issues which rise among teachers such as the integration of

various technology and HOTS elements in the teaching and learning process and the

implementation of 21st century learning (PAK 21) in classes. Through these study groups

the teachers can learn in depth about the specific topics and exchange their views and
 SASHMITAA JIWA (PISMP JUNE 2018 TESL 5)

opinions as well causing the knowledge that they already have to be expanded. Video

critiques of teaching moments are conducted by watching and discussion about a

teacher’s teaching. Teachers watch the video and critique the teaching by analysing the

strengths, weaknesses and give suggestions for improvement. The placemat technique

which is a technique used to record an individual’s view and ideas can be used to write

the opinions during the discussion after watching the video . At the end of the discussion,

in the centre of the placemat, the group records agreed-upon responses. (view Pic 1: a

four-person group placemat).

Pic 1: a four-person group placemat

The next strategy in PLC is De-privatisation of Practice. According to Hembree

(2010), De-privatisation of practice can be defined as an “idea that teachers, to a greater

or lesser degree, share with other teachers their teaching practices and therefore their

beliefs about teaching and learning”. In de-privatisation of practice, there are four

components as well which are learning walk, peer coaching, lesson study and teacher

sharing session. Lesson study is a process where a group of teachers work who together

to build and plan a lesson plan which is taught by a teacher to the pupils while the other

teachers in the group make observations. Any errors or complications which arise are

improved during the teaching. This lesson study approach allows teachers to become

more exposed and knowledgeable about the factors and and the motivating factors in

their lessons and how to cater to all the needs of their pupils. This information which they

have obtained about the lesson might be used to revise the lesson for further teaching

with other classes. (Hiebert and Stigler, 2000). In addition, peer coaching is a way where

teachers observe other teacher’s teachings. Shulman (1991) says that peer coaching

allows teachers to share teaching and pedagogical knowledge in the classroom without
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coercion. In each peer coaching, there would be a coach whom plays a crucial role to

encourage reflection in areas that are crucial for the learning and development of the

teacher. This coach would observe the teacher’s teaching and provide feedback

regarding the lesson conducted. The coach reflects together with the teacher to discuss

the lesson based on the observations and analysis made so that the teacher can refine

her teaching practice.

The third strategy which is in PLC is Collaborative Teams or Collaboration. DuFour,

DuFour, Eaker, & Many (2006) define collaborative teams as “a group of people

working interdependently to achieve a common goal, for which members are

held mutually accountable”. Under collaborative teams, there are four components which

are horizontal and vertical teams, new teacher induction, problem solving groups and

interdisciplinary units and projects. New teacher induction is a method where novice

teachers in the profession are given personal support and guidance in the form of

pedagogy and procedures until they can reach the level of professional competency. This

mentoring is aimed to give the teachers an insight to adapt to the community and culture

of the schools so that they can play their roles effectively. Teachers who are given these

support and guidance from the members of the school, be it leaders or colleagues, will be

more committed and their teaching will be more effective. Apart from that, there is also

the problem-solving groups. PISA 2015 Results (2017) defines collaborative problem-

solving as “the capacity of an individual to effectively engage in a process whereby two or

more agents attempt to solve a problem by sharing the understanding and effort required

to come to a solution and pooling their knowledge, skills and efforts to reach that

solution.” These problem-solving groups allows the teachers to cultivate a collaborative

practice whereby they analyse the problems faced during the teaching and learning

process and make the rational decision regarding the problem for further improvement in

the lesson. When teachers are able to solve the problems arising in their teaching, it
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allows them to improve their teaching as they know the aspects requiring improvement,

thus this would also increase the pupils’ achievement levels

In conclusion, Professional Learning Community is based on the the objective that

various perspectives and experiences which are shared with one another are used to

improve and enhance their professional and pedagogical process as they work toward

common goals. Thus, it can be said that PLC brings a lot of benefits to teachers and the

pupils who they teach, as PLC allows the revision and improvements of the teacher’s

teaching and learning process, so it becomes more effective.

REFERENCES

Barton, R., & Stepanek, J. (n.d.). The Impact of Professional Learning

DuFour, R., DuFour, R., DuFour, R., & DuFour, R. (2007, November 27). All Things PLC.
Retrieved from https://www.allthingsplc.info/blog/view/23/whatrsquos-the-difference-
between-a-plc-a-collaborative-team-and-a-task-force

Hassan, R., Ahmad, J., & Boon, Y. (2018). Professional Learning Community in
Malaysia. International Journal of Engineering & Technology, 7(3.30), 433. doi:
10.14419/ijet.v7i3.30.18347

Hembree, D. (2010). TEACHER TALK: DEPRIVATIZATION OF PRACTICE AMONG

Hiebert,  J. and Stigler, J. W. (2000) A Proposal for Improving Classroom Teaching:

Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia. (2019). Kit Plc Professional Learning Community.

Partnership, G. S. (2014, March 3). Professional Learning Community Definition. Retrieved

PISA 2015 Results (Volume V) (Summary in English). (2017). PISA PISA 2015 Results
(Volume V). doi: 10.1787/93ba004b-en

Placemat Activity. (n.d.). Retrieved from

Vescio, V., Ross, D., & Adams, A. (2008). A review of research on the impact of professional
learning communities on teaching practice and student learning. Teaching and Teacher
Education, 24(1), 80–91. doi: 10.1016/j.tate.2007.01.004

Voelker, D. J. (n.d.). Reflective Dialogue. Retrieved from https://davidjvoelker.com/reflective-