Developing a professional learning community in a Ghanaian School: Teachers’ Perceptions of Important Characteristics of PLC

Opettajat ovat yksi tärkeimmistä resursseista, mitä kouluilla on, ja opettajilla on keskeinen rooli laadukkaan koulutuksen toteuttamisessa. Tämän vuoksi on tär- keää, että opettajille tarjotaan mahdollisuuksia kehittää omia taitojaan ja val- miuksiaan koko uransa ajan. Ammatillinen oppimisyhteisö tu...

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Main Author: Huusela, Katariina
Other Authors: Kasvatustieteiden ja psykologian tiedekunta, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Kasvatustieteiden laitos, Department of Education, Jyväskylän yliopisto, University of Jyväskylä
Format: Master's thesis
Language:eng
Published: 2020
Subjects:
Online Access: https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/68028
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author Huusela, Katariina
author2 Kasvatustieteiden ja psykologian tiedekunta Faculty of Education and Psychology Kasvatustieteiden laitos Department of Education Jyväskylän yliopisto University of Jyväskylä
author_facet Huusela, Katariina Kasvatustieteiden ja psykologian tiedekunta Faculty of Education and Psychology Kasvatustieteiden laitos Department of Education Jyväskylän yliopisto University of Jyväskylä Huusela, Katariina Kasvatustieteiden ja psykologian tiedekunta Faculty of Education and Psychology Kasvatustieteiden laitos Department of Education Jyväskylän yliopisto University of Jyväskylä
author_sort Huusela, Katariina
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description Opettajat ovat yksi tärkeimmistä resursseista, mitä kouluilla on, ja opettajilla on keskeinen rooli laadukkaan koulutuksen toteuttamisessa. Tämän vuoksi on tär- keää, että opettajille tarjotaan mahdollisuuksia kehittää omia taitojaan ja val- miuksiaan koko uransa ajan. Ammatillinen oppimisyhteisö tuo opettajien am- matillisen kehittymisen kouluympäristöön, tukee opettajien kiinteää yhteistyötä, ja painottaa opettajien roolia aktiivisina ja itsekehittyvinä oppijoina. Opettajilla tulisi olla mahdollisuus toteuttaa ammatillista toimijuuttaan ottamalla vastuun omasta ammatillisestä kehittymisestään; opettajilla tulisi olla mahdollisuus vai- kuttaa siihen, miltä heidän ammatillinen kasvunsa ja oppiminen näyttää. Tämän tapaustutkimuksen tavoitteena on luoda kokonaisvaltainen käsitys siitä, millaisten ominaisuuksien opettajat kokevat olevan tärkeitä ammatillisessa oppimisyhteisössä. Lisäksi, tutkimuksen tarkoitus on luoda kuvaa opettajien op- pimistarpeista suhteessa oppimisyhteisöön. Tutkimusta ohjaa kaksi tutkimusky- symystä: 1) Mitkä ominaisuudet opettajat kokevat tärkeinä ammatillisessa oppi- misyhteisössä 2) Millaisia oppimistarpeita opettajilla on suhteessa ammatilliseen oppimisyhteisöön? Tutkimus toteutettiin Ghanassa, ghanalaisamerikkalaisessa yksityiskoulussa. Aineisto on koottu opettajilta eläytymistarinoilla, haastatte- luilla ja observoimalla, ja analyysi on toteutettu laadullisena sisällönanalyysinä. Tutkimustuloksissa identifioitiin yksitoista ominaisuutta, jotka ovat opetta- jien näkemyksien mukaan tärkeitä oppimisyhteisössä. Rakenteelliset tekijät, ku- ten tilat ja oppimiseen tarjottu aika, turvallinen ja tuomitsematon ympäristö, ja mahdollisuudet oppia yhdessä ja opettajien omien kykyjen ja potentiaalin käyt- täminen oppimisen tukemiseksi olivat tärkeimmäksi koettuja ominaisuuksia. Opettajien oppimistarpeet liittyivät vahvasti kommunikaatiotaitojen kehittämi- seen, tiimityöskentelytaitoihin sekä uusien opetusmetodien oppimiseen. Teachers are one of the most essential resources that any school or other educa- tional facility can have; they are the very central figures in providing quality ed- ucation for children, therefore it is vital to provide teachers with opportunities to develop professionally and to enhance high-quality teaching. A professional learning community (PLC) brings teachers’ professional learning to the school context and emphasize teachers as active and self-developing learners. Teachers’ should have agency in their own professional learning and opportunity to take responsibility of their development, instead of being recipients of predetermined professional development training. This case study aims give teachers’ opportunity to voice their perceptions about a professional learning community and express what they perceive as their most essential learning needs. The following research questions are guiding the research: 1) What do teachers perceive as important characteristics of a profes- sional learning community? 2) Which learning needs teachers’ express in relation to professional learning community? The study was implemented in a Ghana- ian-American elementary school, and the data consists of teachers’ empathy- based stories, workshop observations and group interviews. The data was ana- lysed by qualitative content analysis. In the findings, eleven important characteristics were identified. Structural matters, such as space and allocated time for collaborative learning, safe and un- judgmental environment and opportunities to learn from one another and possi- bility to harness teachers’ own capabilities and potential were viewed as most important characteristics of an PLC. Furthermore, teachers’ most essential earn- ing needs in relation to PLC were related to improvement of communication, teamwork and teaching skills. Keywords: Professional development, professional learning, Teacher Profes- sional Learning Community, Ghana,
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spellingShingle Huusela, Katariina Developing a professional learning community in a Ghanaian School: Teachers’ Perceptions of Important Characteristics of PLC Master's Degree Programme in Education 102 opettajat ammatillinen kehitys opettajankoulutus teachers professional development teacher training
title Developing a professional learning community in a Ghanaian School: Teachers’ Perceptions of Important Characteristics of PLC
title_full Developing a professional learning community in a Ghanaian School: Teachers’ Perceptions of Important Characteristics of PLC
title_fullStr Developing a professional learning community in a Ghanaian School: Teachers’ Perceptions of Important Characteristics of PLC Developing a professional learning community in a Ghanaian School: Teachers’ Perceptions of Important Characteristics of PLC
title_full_unstemmed Developing a professional learning community in a Ghanaian School: Teachers’ Perceptions of Important Characteristics of PLC Developing a professional learning community in a Ghanaian School: Teachers’ Perceptions of Important Characteristics of PLC
title_short Developing a professional learning community in a Ghanaian School: Teachers’ Perceptions of Important Characteristics of PLC
title_sort developing a professional learning community in a ghanaian school teachers perceptions of important characteristics of plc
title_txtP Developing a professional learning community in a Ghanaian School: Teachers’ Perceptions of Important Characteristics of PLC
topic Master's Degree Programme in Education 102 opettajat ammatillinen kehitys opettajankoulutus teachers professional development teacher training
topic_facet 102 Master's Degree Programme in Education ammatillinen kehitys opettajankoulutus opettajat professional development teacher training teachers
url https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/68028 http://www.urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:jyu-202003032250
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