Leading a Professional Learning Community for teacher educators: inquiry into college principals’ motives and challenges

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this narrative study is to trace the process whereby Israeli Academic College of Education principals lead Professional Learning Communities (PLC) for teacher educators. The focus is on the unique situation in which various different roles (administrator/facilitator/learner) are integrated during this process. Seven semi-structured interviews underwent a thematic analysis that indicated two parallel journeys of PLC leadership: a journey of co-leading a PLC and cultivating creativity, and a journey of crystallizing intellectual identity and image through leading PLCs. The discussion provides an interpretation of these two journeys in accordance with both social-cognitive and social-classification theories. It examines the findings in terms of three types of tensions and fears typical of PLC leaders, as reflected in the literature.

KEYWORDS:

• Professional Learning Community
• teacher educators
• teacher education
• teacher empowerment
• professional development

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Efrata College of Educationand The Mofet Institute.

Notes on contributors

Mary Gutman

Mary Gutman is researcher, teacher educator and a head of the research authority at Efrata College of Education in Jerusalem, Israel. She is a graduate of the excellence programs of PhD studies (President’s Scholarship Program, Bar Ilan University) and the Postdoctoral Program (Mofet Institute). Her main research interest refers to multiculturalism in teaching and teacher education, professional development and career and minority–majority relationships.