Blazing New Trails - Connexions

Professional Learning Communities: A Feasible Reality or a Chimera? 51
Establish common, ambitious standards (p. 194);
Develop and implement formative assessments of student learning (p. 197);
Use data to identify individual students’ strengths and weaknesses (p. 200); and
Develop positive relations with students and peers. (pp. 201–205)
PERCEIVED BENEFITS OF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES
If it is so difficult to build professional learning communities, why should principals
and teachers move from the traditional leadership structures, practices, and cultures? The
perceived potential benefits of professional learning communities are many; they include
benefits for students, teachers, and for the school, itself. Clearly, the most important benefits
hoped for from professional learning communities are increased student learning (Gregory &
Kuznich, 2007; Rasberry, with Mahajan, 2008), decreased student dropout and absenteeism
rates (Gregory & Kuznich, 2007; Rasberry, with Mahajan, 2008), and smaller achievement
gaps among students (Gregory & Kuznich, 2007).
For teachers, the potential for increased efficacy (Muijs & Harris, 2003; Wahlstrom &
Louis, 2008) is viewed as the major benefit. This is projected to occur due to increased
teacher understanding of content (Gregory & Kuznich, 2007; Hord, 1997; Muijs & Harris,
2003; Rasberry, with Mahajan, 2008) and reduction of teacher isolation (Gregory & Kuznich,
2007; Hord, 1997; Muijs & Harris, 2008). Furthermore, through open, shared reflection and
dialogue, teachers are seen as being more open to modifying their teaching strategies (Giles &
Hargreaves, 2006; Gregory & Kuznich, 2007; Hord, 1997; Rasberry, with Mahajan, 2008).
Teachers are anticipated to be renewed and inspired by participation in a professional learning
community (Gregory & Kuznich, 2007; Hord, 1997). Harris (2009) concluded that distributed
leadership can support the creation of knowledge in a school and across schools.
For the school, the perceived benefits center around an improved school culture (Giles
& Hargreaves, 2006; Rasberry, with Mahajan, 2008). This improved culture includes
increased teacher commitment to the school’s mission and values (Gregory & Kuznich, 2007;
Hord, 1997; Muijs & Harris, 2003; Wahlstrom & Louis, 2008), higher teacher commitment to
change (Giles & Hargreaves, 2006; Gregory & Kuznich, 2007; Hord, 1997; Rasberry, with
Mahajan, 2008), shared responsibility for student success (Gregory & Kuznich, 2007; Hord,
1997), shared norms for teaching and assessment (Wahlstrom & Louis, 2008), and improved
institutionalization of organizational improvements (Leithwood, Mascall, & Strauss, 2009a).
A by-product of professional learning communities should be improved leadership succession
planning (Wahlstrom & Louis, 2008). However, empirical evidence as to the benefits of
distributed leadership, including professional learning communities, is in short supply
(Leithwood et al., 2009a; Timperley, 2009).
BARRIERS TO ESTABLISHING PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES
As with any major change, establishing professional learning communities is a
difficult, time-demanding process. The hierarchical, bureaucratic structures of schools are
deeply entrenched (Muijs & Harris, 2003, 2007; Murphy, 2005; Murphy, Smylie, Mayrowetz,
& Louis, 2009; Printy, 2008; York-Barr & Duke, 2004). These structures benefit some
people; also, most people in the school only know this one type of structure. Consequently,
structures strongly resist change (Murphy et al., 2009). Not only must structures be changed,
but the entire culture of the school must be changed. Strong cultures strongly resist change