Professional Learning Community

Task 5 : Academic Writing

Generally "Professional Learning Community (PLC)" refers to the efforts of educators who are committed and work collaboratively as well as continuing to make an inquiry or action research to achieve better performance for their pupils (DuFour & Eaker , 2006). The term professional learning community or professional learning community (PLC) exists among researchers as early as the 1960s. Rosenholtz (1989) conducted a study in 78 schools and found that the improvement in teaching and learning takes place collectively and not individually. Little and McLaughlin (1993) also reported that the school and the most effective committee is a school that implements a robust learning community.

Based on this information, in 2011 the Teacher Education Division (BPG) has implemented the PLC starts with a "Lesson Study" to a committee of 289 subjects in 289 low-performing schools. Culturing the implementation of learning and teaching activities collaboratively in the community of teachers has shown encouraging results in improving the professionalism of teachers in schools. These efforts continued in 2012 to 107 subjects committee at 107 schools. Apart from the "Lesson Study", strategies PLC such as Peer Counselors (Peer Coaching), Trail Learning (Learning Walk) and Sharing (Sharing Sessions) have been expanded.

PRINCIPLES OF PLC

The basic principle of PLC is based on three main ideas (Figure 1.1), namely:

i. Ensuring student learning

ii. Collaborative culture

iii. Focus on achievements

[pic 1]

        `                        Figure 1.1

Lesson Study

Lesson Study is a model of teacher professional development as practiced in Japan for more than a century (Isoda, 2007). However, this model is more robust in the 1960s and now, has been part of the Japanese culture of teachers, especially in primary schools (Fernandez & Yoshida, 2004). Lesson Study, in Japanese called Jugyoukenkyuu. Jugyou means of education or teaching, while kenkyuu is the study or research. In other words, Lesson Study is the study, research or study of teaching in the classroom.

Generally, Lesson Study provides a passage or an opportunity for professional development of teachers. Compared with the model of professional development of other teachers, lesson study is unique and bottom-up model: it is at the initiative of the teachers themselves and not the order of his superiors. In order to cultivate a lesson study, teachers have to change the paradigm in line with the concept of lifelong learning. Through this approach, school teachers working collaboratively generate Daily Lesson Plan that focuses on student learning. Collaborative practice that requires the combination of ideas, experience and skills will enhance content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge of teachers. Lesson Study process in meetings and discussions covering a group of teachers to foster the proliferation of knowledge, the development of ideas and individual creativity in the construction process of lesson plan together. Practices like this can also foster a sense of belonging between teachers in the school. Benefits of such practices appropriately nurtured and strengthened continuously in order to be unshackled by teachers in schools so on. This practice is expected to produce a school of excellence, quality and world class.