Exploring teachers’ experiences of a professional learning community

ABSTRACT

Our ability to structure professional learning opportunities in ways that teachers value and that support the implementation of the strategies and ideas contained therein are important considerations for improving teachers’ practice. Professional learning opportunities can be structured in many ways, including through the use of professional learning communities. This study explores a professional learning community focused on the teaching of mathematics for social justice in which seven New York City public high school teachers participated. Relying on survey and interview data, the study explores teachers’ beliefs and opinions about the professional development. The study examines those characteristics teachers valued such as working with peers, engaging in the opportunity voluntarily, and working over an extended period of time. Also considered are suggestions for improvement including the need for support through the implementation stage.

KEYWORDS:

• Professional learning community
• teacher education
• mathematics for social justice
• teacher learning

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This article is based upon work partially supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Grant No. [ESI-0333753]. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF.

Notes on contributors

Lidia Gonzalez

Lidia Gonzalez is a Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at York College of the City University of New York. She began her career as a high school mathematics teacher in a large, comprehensive high school in New York City. Interested in improving the mathematical experiences of urban students, her research focuses on the teaching of mathematics for social justice, the development of mathematics identity and teacher development. She has published numerous articles and book chapters and given talks at regional and national conferences and is the recipient of several research grants.