Teachers’ Perceptions of Professional Learning Communities as Opportunities For Promoting Professional Growth

Teachers are the focal point for institutionalizing sustainable educational reform. The pivotal point of educational reform revolves around the opportunities for professional growth of teachers. For many schools, the implementation of professional learning communities is serving as the road map for creating opportunities for effective professional growth. This qualitative study was designed to investigate teachers’ perceptions of professional learning communities as opportunities for substantiated ongoing and effective professional growth. The study’s methodology applied the use of focus groups, individual interviews, and participant observations. The findings endorsed that the teachers involved in this study did perceive professional learning communities as a framework and foundation for promoting and sustaining ongoing, effective professional growth.