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British Columbian and Bangladeshi secondary science teachers’ views on the role of professional learning communities in the growth of their knowledge for teaching Islam, Shahidul
Abstract
Enhancing teachers’ knowledge for teaching (K4T) is the driving force for quality education, requiring continuous professional development across various domains. Collaboration in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) fosters effective knowledge sharing and enhances educational practices. Over three decades of PLCs' existence, coupled with global events like the recent pandemic revealed new gaps in our understanding of PLCs' unique features and their role in K4T growth. To contextualize these gaps, this study focuses on secondary science teachers in British Columbia and Bangladesh, examining the most salient PLCs’ features, their impact on K4T growth, challenges faced by teachers, and how PLCs help address these challenges. This study employed an explanatory sequential mixed-method design, starting with a survey of 100 participants (50 per region) through purposive sampling, followed by semi-structured interviews with 10 participants (5 per region) using convenience sampling. Data analysis included descriptive statistics for quantitative data and thematic analysis for qualitative insights. The study revealed varying degrees of responses to the salient PLC features in both regions. Bangladeshi teachers emphasize features like student focus, shared goals, reflective practices, fostering belonging, sharing resources, continuous improvement, open communication, and data-informed decision-making more than their counterparts in BC. However, British Columbian educators value collaborative problem-solving and mutual respect comparatively more than Bangladeshi educators. The biggest discrepancy is in distributed leadership skills, which are less valued in BC compared to BD. Both regions benefit from PLCs’ resource sharing, new teaching strategies, understanding of student needs, technology integration, self-reflection, and staying updated on educational trends for K4T growth. Bangladeshi teachers face more challenges, such as lack of technology access, student readiness, pedagogical inertia, blending technology, designing assessments, and lack of support, while BC teachers moderately agree on these. Technical issues, limited knowledge, evolving technology, and lack of confidence are almost equally addressed in both regions. PLC participation helps overcome these challenges through networking, collaboration, technical assistance, affordable tech solutions, resource sharing, confidence building, and tailored instruction, enhancing teaching practices and embracing evolving pedagogies. By leveraging the benefits of PLCs, educators can enhance teaching practices, meet the needs of diverse learners, and embrace the rapidly evolving technology-enhanced pedagogies.
Item Metadata
Title |
British Columbian and Bangladeshi secondary science teachers’ views on the role of professional learning communities in the growth of their knowledge for teaching
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Creator | |
Supervisor | |
Publisher |
University of British Columbia
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Date Issued |
2024
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Description |
Enhancing teachers’ knowledge for teaching (K4T) is the driving force for quality education, requiring continuous professional development across various domains. Collaboration in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) fosters effective knowledge sharing and enhances educational practices. Over three decades of PLCs' existence, coupled with global events like the recent pandemic revealed new gaps in our understanding of PLCs' unique features and their role in K4T growth. To contextualize these gaps, this study focuses on secondary science teachers in British Columbia and Bangladesh, examining the most salient PLCs’ features, their impact on K4T growth, challenges faced by teachers, and how PLCs help address these challenges.
This study employed an explanatory sequential mixed-method design, starting with a survey of 100 participants (50 per region) through purposive sampling, followed by semi-structured interviews with 10 participants (5 per region) using convenience sampling. Data analysis included descriptive statistics for quantitative data and thematic analysis for qualitative insights.
The study revealed varying degrees of responses to the salient PLC features in both regions. Bangladeshi teachers emphasize features like student focus, shared goals, reflective practices, fostering belonging, sharing resources, continuous improvement, open communication, and data-informed decision-making more than their counterparts in BC. However, British Columbian educators value collaborative problem-solving and mutual respect comparatively more than Bangladeshi educators. The biggest discrepancy is in distributed leadership skills, which are less valued in BC compared to BD. Both regions benefit from PLCs’ resource sharing, new teaching strategies, understanding of student needs, technology integration, self-reflection, and staying updated on educational trends for K4T growth. Bangladeshi teachers face more challenges, such as lack of technology access, student readiness, pedagogical inertia, blending technology, designing assessments, and lack of support, while BC teachers moderately agree on these. Technical issues, limited knowledge, evolving technology, and lack of confidence are almost equally addressed in both regions. PLC participation helps overcome these challenges through networking, collaboration, technical assistance, affordable tech solutions, resource sharing, confidence building, and tailored instruction, enhancing teaching practices and embracing evolving pedagogies. By leveraging the benefits of PLCs, educators can enhance teaching practices, meet the needs of diverse learners, and embrace the rapidly evolving technology-enhanced pedagogies.
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Genre | |
Type | |
Language |
eng
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Date Available |
2024-07-10
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Provider |
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
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Rights |
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
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DOI |
10.14288/1.0444124
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URI | |
Degree | |
Program | |
Affiliation | |
Degree Grantor |
University of British Columbia
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Graduation Date |
2024-11
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Campus | |
Scholarly Level |
Graduate
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Rights URI | |
Aggregated Source Repository |
DSpace
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Rights
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International