Improving Science Outcomes With PLCoPs

School leaders are tasked with attending to many aspects of science teaching and learning. Still, one that is sometimes overlooked is the comfort level of teachers teaching science—particularly at the elementary level.

Research has shown that a teacher’s comfort level can impact the effectiveness of their science instruction. One support for teachers is creating a professional learning community (PLC) that serves as a safe place to admit discomfort and work on science instructional skills and knowledge.

Unfortunately, PLCs may have a bad rap for not truly providing teachers with a learning community but rather turning into another planning or venting session. Leaders and teachers can take steps to create a dynamic science learning community where members work toward specific goals for themselves and their students by incorporating elements of a community of practice (CoP) into their PLCs.

Here, we describe four steps to create a safe learning environment for teachers in which they can share and work together to increase their comfort level with high-quality science education and, in turn, increase student achievement in science.

These steps are framed using these three categories within Learning Forward’s Standards for Professional Learning (SPL):

1. Rigorous content for each learner;
2. Conditions for success; and
3. Transformational processes.

Within these categories are eleven standards; these sessions are designed around two of those standards: a culture of collaborative inquiry and equity foundations (conditions for success) and professional expertise (rigorous content for each learner).

Step 1: Creating the Space

Teachers often are told they need to participate in a PLC. However, it is important that, before the PLC ever begins, the goals and norms of constructive interactions are laid out. Just as educators create safe spaces during the first few weeks of school within the classroom, teachers should be afforded the same opportunity in a PLC.

While there are many ways in which norms can be considered and created, we have found This American Life’s “Ruining It For the Rest of Us” podcast introduction to be a useful and interesting starting point for discussion. In the introduction, Ira Glass and his guest discuss “good” and “bad apple” behaviors and how they might affect group dynamics. Asking teachers to consider their own perspectives on good and bad apple behaviors and what they envision for their PLC can then lead to the creation of norms for the group moving forward.

Step 2: Defining a PLC

While the term “PLC” has become ubiquitous in education, it is vital that teachers understand what a PLC entails to make it a productive workspace. This sets the stage for productive work around science teaching and learning.

Commonly used PLC guidelines come from the Richard DuFour model and center on student learning and achievement. DuFour suggests a PLC should be guided by these four questions:

1. What do we want students to learn?
2. How will we know if they have learned it?
3. What will we do if they have not learned it?
4. How will we provide extended learning opportunities for students who have mastered the content?

While these questions can guide the work teachers do in a PLC, it is also important for teachers to take time to define what a PLC is and to understand what it should entail. To begin this step, ask teachers to provide one word that describes a PLC. Then ask half of the teachers to read the article “Collaboration and Collective Inquiry in a PLC” by Alexa Adams and the other to read the article “The Futility of PLC Lite” by DuFour and Douglas Reeves, which describe PLCs. After reading their articles, ask teachers to find a partner who reads the other article and discuss their key takeaways. Then, using these takeaways, ask the whole group to create a one-sentence definition of a PLC that includes best practices for their setting. This definition will serve to ground future work in the PLC.

Step 3: What Is a CoP?

A community of practice (CoP) is not a term used often in mainstream education spaces, but it can be a game-changer when it comes to productive PLC work. Communities of practice have three essential characteristics:

1. A common domain or interest in learning;
2. A community or the social interactions of the group; and
3. Practice that includes any ideas, tools, and documents created by the community.

Communities of practice are created through interaction between all participants. Senior members of the CoP share past ideas and bring novice members into the community, with the group working together toward a common purpose. The trusting relationships created and maintained during a CoP are key. Without trust, group members might not feel safe sharing ideas. These safe spaces empower CoP participants to make suggestions and receive critical feedback to improve the practice of the group.

In this step, groups will learn powerful aspects of a CoP to influence a PLC. Have teachers participate in a jigsaw activity by reading one of three articles:

• Professional Learning Communities and Communities of Practice: A Comparison of Models, Literature Review by Selena S. Blankenship and Wendy E.A. Ruona;
• Communities of Practice: Learning as a Social System by Etienne Wenger; and
• Introduction to Communities of Practice: A Brief Overview of the Concept and Its Uses by Wenger and Beverly Wenger-Trayner.

Each article group will discuss major takeaways and then return to their original group to discuss each article. From this discussion, groups will define their domain (what they are interested in learning more about), community (identifying the more senior and novice participants), and practice (the ideas, documents, or other tangible or intangible items will support them) for their own CoP. Participants will use these essential characteristics to create their own hybrid PLC/CoP in the next session.

Step 4: Creating a PLCoP

In this final session, teachers will develop their own PLCoP through careful consideration of components of both a PLC and CoP that are important for their professional learning moving forward. Using knowledge from the article readings and notes, each group will create a vision statement for their new PLCoP, and identify specific attainable goals and objectives, performance indicators, and norms.

When closing this session, allow groups to present their ideas through a slide deck or a gallery walk of poster sheets. Ideally, the work done here can be immediately implemented in school-based teams.

While many teachers and schools might want to get straight to work on science teaching and learning in a PLC, these four sessions are necessary foundational work for PLCs to be successful. Because these sessions are framed using the SPL, be sure to align meetings and future sessions with other SPL components in addition to these four steps as you continue in your PLCoP journey.

Investing time and energy into PLCoPs can create an important culture of collaboration and safety at your school that can better support those who may not be comfortable (yet!) teaching science. Each step is designed as a one-hour session so it easily can be incorporated into faculty meetings or afterschool meeting times.

After implementing these foundational steps, take time to acknowledge the valuable and challenging work they have completed. Revisit the group’s goals often, to make sure progress is being made. When a group achieves a goal, support them in creating a new one. And remember that change takes time; being patient and consistently returning to the vision, goals, and norms for the PLCoP will help move everyone forward.

Jennifer M. Bateman is a postdoctoral associate at the University of Georgia.

Julianne A. Wenner is associate professor of Science Education, College of Education, at Clemson University.