Focusing on teachers as learners in professional learning communities

Abstract

Practising teachers are part of professional learning communities in many educational settings. In this piece, the editors unpack what we mean by the term learning community and outline the nature of professional learning that can occur in professional learning communities. Like all good ideas, the concepts of communities of practice and communities of learners get captured, digested, and become formulas or recipes that have lost the full flavour of the original concepts. Therefore, it is crucial that we re-question the aims of professional learning communities and critically examine their current configurations. Are our professional learning communities safe places, where members can challenge current thinking, take risks and learn together with a shared purpose, and refresh ourselves? Or are the participants compelled to attend, working off someone else’s agenda and direction and lacking the freedom to explore?