IMPACT OF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES ON TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN OMAN

Abstract

Teaching is a complicated profession that involves constant fulfilment of several traits and qualifications for the entire length of the teacher’s career. Ideally, professional learning communities (henceforth PLC) have the potential to boost teacher professional development (henceforth TPD). Nevertheless, the execution of the PLC is not always implemented as planned. This research aims to explore the situation of PLC and the impact of these communities on teacher professional development in some schools in Oman. Qualitative research design using the explanatory approach was employed. Data from interviews, observation and document analysis were triangulated to probe the impact of PLC on teacher professional development. A purposeful sample of 13 participants took part in the study. These include teachers, principals, supervisors, and policy makers selected from six primary schools in the Ministry of Education in the Sultanate of Oman. The study revealed that there were insufficient training programs for teachers, principals, and supervisors on how to run these communities. Moreover, principals and teachers are all heavily burdened with administrative duties that impede them from focusing on the developmental implications of PLC. Furthermore, the lack of opportunity for teacher input in the entire teaching-learning process is a stumbling block to the recognition of the impact of PLC on teacher growth. Despite that, PLC offers a great opportunity for teacher growth if implemented in the right way.