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Professional Learning Communities
Each word of the phrase “professional learning community” has been chosen purposefully.
A “professional” is someone with expertise in a specialised field, an individual who has not only pursued advanced training to enter the field, but who is also expected to remain current in its evolving knowledge base.
“Learning” suggests ongoing action and perpetual curiosity… The school that operates as a professional learning community recognises that its members must engage in the ongoing study and constant practice that characterise an organization committed to continuous improvement.
The term “community” suggests a group linked by common purpose… In a professional learning community… educators create an environment that fosters mutual cooperation, emotional support, and personal growth as they work together to achieve what they cannot accomplish alone.
While the emphasis is on community, the intended purpose and outcome is school improvement.
Dufour and Eaker (1998, pp xi-xii)