The role of school principals in creating and promoting professional learning communities: a study of three secondary schools in uMlazi District.
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Date
2022
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Abstract
School principals have a very important role to play in the Their role
involves creation of an environment conducive to teaching and learning. One of many
strategies that principals may adopt is to create professional learning communities. Research
has shown that when PLCs in schools are well-practiced teaching and learning can improve.
However, despite such a good report about PLCs what seems to be the case is that in many
schools they still do not exist or they are ineffective and do not support teacher learning. Hence
the focus of this study is on principals, as I believe that there is a need for research evidence
about what school principals understand and experience as their role in promoting PLCs. The
study adopted qualitative case study to explore the understandings and experiences of the three
secondary school principals in creating and promoting PLCs.
To collect data for the study, semi-structured interviews and document analysis were used.
The results of the study revealed the following: (i)As much as the evidence has shown that
principals understood that they had an important role to play in PLCs, they were not fully
involved. Their understanding of the role to play was limited to just being providers and not
being actively involved. (ii) Their role in the promotion of PLCs involved ensuring that
members of a PLC respected and trusted each other. (iii) The principal’s role also included
ensuring that the leadership skills of teachers participating in PLCs were developed. (iv)
principals believed in shared leadership. (v) Principals have the responsibility of ensuring that
necessary resources are always available for teaching and learning processes. (vi) Lastly
subject meetings were also supported as another way of promoting PLCs as they are meant for
teachers to share their skills and knowledge.
The recommendations are as follows: School principals must be more involved in PLCs by
making sure they attend and participate in the professional development sessions held in their
schools. Secondly, district officials must be seen leading the initiatives that promote PLCs.
This can be done through organising workshops and seminars for principals to capacitate them
on different methods that they can use to promote an effective PLC. Lastly, depending on the
availability of space, principals can solicit donations from private companies and from their
ex-students and build multipurpose rooms. This may address the issue of not having enough
space to hold PLC meetings. The issue of space can also be resolved if principals can identify
schools within the circuit that can be used as centres of professional learning communities.
Description
Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.