ERIC Number: EJ1370087
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 19
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0037-7996
EISSN: EISSN-2152-405X
The Impact of Professional Learning Communities on Social Studies Teachers' Professional Development and Student Academic Achievement
Social Studies, v113 n6 p300-318 2022
The main goal in this study was to explore the impact of a professional learning community (PLC) on social studies (SS) teachers' professional development (PD) and student academic achievement. With this in mind, the study was carried out using a design-based research approach with an overarching ADDIE design model. The participants of the study consisted of six SS teachers from two middle schools and 113 students. Data were collected using scales, observations, and semi-structured interviews and analyzed through qualitative techniques on teacher data as well as t-tests on student data. Findings suggest that the PLC designed in a reflective thinking cycle has had a positive impact on teacher PD and enhanced student achievement in SS. The conclusion is that there is a positive relationship between teacher participation in the PLC and student achievement. Therefore, it is recommended that the PLC be made widely available in PD of SS teachers, and PD programs be planned as long-term hands-on training activities, while also taking into account the specific needs of the field.
Descriptors: Communities of Practice, Faculty Development, Social Studies, Middle School Teachers, Middle School Students, Academic Achievement, Correlation, Teacher Attitudes
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A