Professional Learning Communities (PLCs): Properties of effective collaborative inquiry in a primary school setting

Abstract

The aim of this research was to investigate two research questions. The first question was to identify to what extent a syndicate at an Auckland primary school’s Professional Learning Community (PLC) exhibited the characteristics of effective collaborative inquiry. These characteristics were identified in the research literature as those most likely to improve teacher practices and student outcomes: clear, shared purpose; collaborative analysis and interpretation of data and; collaborative use of data used for decision making. Secondly, this research investigated what the PLC participants believed were the enablers and constraints to effective PLCs. This research was a qualitative case study in one Auckland primary school. Investigating the characteristics of effective collaborative inquiry firstly, involved developing observable indicators of each characteristics of effective collaborative inquiry, and selecting the most appropriate data sources to measure these. The data sources that were used to measure these indicators were the observation of one syndicates PLC, a post observation questionnaire of the four participants, relevant document analysis, and also semi structured interviews, from two school leaders, and one participant. The second part of the research involved investigating what participants perceived as enabling and constraining factors to effectiveness of collaborative inquiry. The post observation questionnaire and interview transcripts were used to measure this, as well as the PLC observation transcript which was used to triangulate information from these data sources. The findings indicate that the characteristics of effective collaborative inquiry were mostly exhibited through the PLCs. Firstly, there was a clear, shared purpose for the PLC that was explicit in all relevant documentation. Although the purpose was not explicitly stated in the PLC observed, the research found that the purpose was evident in the meeting. Secondly, data was collaboratively analysed and interpreted in the PLC but while there were examples of group sharing and affirmation of each other’s’ contributions, there were limited examples of explicit critique and challenge of other participant’s analysis and interpretation of data . However critique and challenge was evident in an indirect, form, for example, participants were more likely to use self-critique. Thirdly, the data was used collaboratively to make decisions on how to improve practice and two conceptual influences were identified and triangulated across all four data sources. However, there was no critique and/or challenge around these conceptual influences on practice. In terms of research question two, it was found there were several key identified enablers or constraints to collaborative inquiry. The first identified enabler to collaborative inquiry, which all participants identified as an enabler, was relational trust, especially the respect element. The second enabler was the use of an artefact, the Planning Document, which enabled collaborative inquiry for a variety of reasons, but may have also constrained part of the collaborative inquiry process. A further constraint that was identified by a couple of participants was lack of specificity and objectives for the PLC, however, disconfirming evidence for this was evident in the PLC transcript and Planning Document which was a pertinent, relevant school document.