Professional Learning Communities - Paper Example

Evidence from different parts of the world suggests that the progress of reforms in educational setting depends on the individual as well as the collective capacity of teachers as well as their ability to connect school-wide capability to promote student learning. Establishing position is, therefore, essential. Capacity is a multifaceted combination of skill, motivation, organizational conditions, real learning, institutional culture, as well as support infrastructure. When combined, ability gives groups, individuals, school systems, and entire school communities the power for participating and sustaining learning over time (Stoll, et al. 2006). In this sense, the establishment of professional learning communities (PLCs) plays a critical role in capacity building to foster sustainable improvement in student learning.

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While educational experts have learned significant amount concerning ways of improving the performance of schools during the past 25 years, global educators are encountering challenges when trying to maintain improvement continuously and spread advancements in entire systems. In dealing with the influence of rapid change and globalization, new learning approaches are needed. Learning no longer depends on individuals. In emerging successful in the increasingly multifaceted and changing world, entire school communities need to embark on efforts that can allow them to learn together to adopt change (Stoll, et al. 2006). In this manner, they would manage to find the ideal ways of improving the learning of young people.

Whereas comprehending active PLCs in learning institutions as well as research on their prevalence, effectiveness, and operation, is in the initial development stages in different countries, evidence reveals that have a significant influence on school improvement. Also, while no universal definition of PLCs exists, widespread consensus defines it them as a group of individuals sharing as well as interrogating their practices critically in a continuous, collaborative, reflective, learning-oriented, inclusive, and growth promoting manner (Stoll, et al. 2006). Even if not all PLCs are appropriate for change or emphasize on improvement, its influence is different between schools having active educator communities for traditional communities and teacher teaching communities that support collaborative practices for sharing professional growth.

Professional learning communities are productive because they have five common features that contemporary theorists explore. These comprise of participation and interaction, understanding and shared beliefs, interdependence, concern for minority and individual views, and meaningful relationships (Stoll, et al. 2006). Overall, professional learning communities play a critical role in permeating the life of students, educators, and school leaders hence making it possible to boost the overall learning environment and support effective reforms in education institutions.

Learning Outcomes Assessment

Assessments in Schools play a critical role in influencing learning outcomes. In countries such as the U.S. and other developed nations, assessments have received significant emphasis. Almost all universities and colleges are embarking on revealing that evaluations can boost student learning through empirical research. For instance, the Department of Education's Commission on the Future Education was established in 2005 to develop strategies that higher learning institutions should meet to meet the growing educational needs of Americas population. The organization also aimed at addressing the workforce as well as economic needs for the future. In boosting outcomes from assessments, the Commission instituted several reforms to improve accountability that would ensure that all the other prior educational reforms are successful. In this sense, universities and colleges need to exercise transparency concerning price, cost, and success in learner assessment outcomes CITATION Huf13 \l 1033 (Hufford, 2013). They should be willing to share the information with their students as well as their families.

Literature suggests that while much is written concerning assessment during the years, research coverage in the recent years should incorporate sources that would appear relevant to academic professionals. Also, they should also disclose new developments, directions, and ideas in assessing research and academic libraries. Also, in offering an easy and competent understanding of the influence of assessments on student outcomes, learning institutions should be able to manage and administer libraries, public services, and other issues that affect several departments in a library CITATION Huf13 \l 1033 (Hufford, 2013).

Assessment is frequently connected to evaluation. In the case of education professionals, evaluations take place when researchers wish to discover what students understand or what they are capable of doing. As for evaluation, it determines the value of a particular program of course. Most library and academic book authors utilize assessment when discussing the measurement of a library's services or operations. Evaluation comprises of performance comparison with an agency's objectives. It aims at determining whether any change has occurred within a particular period and whether the change follows the anticipated direction. By contrast, assessment is the process of assessing operations through gathering, interpreting and utilizing data to boost customer service and make appropriate decisions. Assessments focus on studying the internal processes, service quality, levels, and impact of the library on the goals of an institution CITATION Huf13 \l 1033 (Hufford, 2013). In this vain, assessment is more detailed and more efficient in evaluating the outcomes among students.

Effective Leadership Styles for Change

In the education environment, leadership style plays a vital role in realizing the goals of the learning community. A leadership style is among the unique ways through which a superior manages subordinates. Leadership styles are usually linked with a leader's personality while the requirements of the position shape it. The primary leadership styles that most managers utilize comprise of paternalistic or benevolent, developmental, and coercive or critical. These leadership styles create distinct forms of working environments within organizations based on how they fit with the requirements of an organization. In a study carried out of the stories of lesser and great leaders in establishing a categorization of moral (transformational and transactional) and amoral (power wielders), right leaders are perceived as real leaders while amoral leaders are not CITATION Joh15 \l 1033 (John & Chattopadhyay, 2015).

Concerning transactional leaders, they follow the culture of an organization as it prevails whereas transformational leaders institute certain changes. A transformational leader also changes the social wool and warp of reality. In general, a transformational leader is more superior compared to a transactional leader. Furthermore, research has revealed that the leadership that significant historical individuals have employed has mostly been transformational rather than transactional. Great leadership is effective when leaders engage emotions. Leaders are considered artists in that they are supposed to tolerate chaos while lacking structure. They conceal certain information to hinder premature disclosure regarding vital issues. Thus, the leadership style exercised in educational settings would have a substantial impact on the performance of learning institutions and in implementing effective strategies that can support ideal educational reforms CITATION Joh15 \l 1033 (John & Chattopadhyay, 2015). Therefore, good leaders, particularly transformational leaders would be perfect for educational settings. Educators or school leaders employing transformational leadership would have a significant impact on the effective implementation of reforms that would meet the educational needs of today's learning institutions in the face of advancements in technology and growing influence of globalization in the learning environment.

Findings

In undertaking the study, the researcher conducted the interview from four professional education participants from IACBE, ATHEA, and International School of Management. The individuals pursued different roles including Director of European Operations and International Development for IACBE (Paul Malette), General Director (Alison Knight), Executive Director (Gunther Singer), and Director of Academic Affairs at ISM (Matthew Andrew) respectively. As for the literature review, it revolved around three areas that surround education leadership, which comprised of a professional learning community, outcomes and assessments, and leadership styles.

Professional Learning Community

The first participant, he agreed that professional learning communities allow leaders to bring different school constituents together to enable them to comprehend the way that quality assurance influences each part. Hence, professional learning communities play a critical role in the quality assurance process and create a culture of togetherness. The second participant was not aware of what a professional learning community entailed. The third respondent stipulated that for the professional learning community to be effective, it is essential to consider the size on an organization. Institutions of different sizes have distinct structures. Depending on the extent of the institution, an organization needs to evaluate its goals, objectives, and the needs of its stakeholders to develop an ideal professional learning community. The fourth participants revealed that a professional learning community is essential in that it revolves around students, working adults, and emphasizes on the experiences they have while exercising flexibility to ensure they meet the needs of all involved parties in a flexible manner.

Outcomes and Assessments

Regarding the issue of results assessments, the first respondent stipulated that they are valuable when it comes to assessing learning quality as opposed to prescriptive input. The outcomes assessments should look at the mission of education institutions and its goals for realizing the mission. Thus, learning objectives are essential in setting perimeters for what students fall below the measurements. Educationalists should, therefore, look into the program and improve through making changes to ensure that students learn the intended material. The second participant failed to give any information on outcome assessments. In the perspective of the third member, he did not see the benefits or drawbacks of outcome assessments. For the fourth member, he stipulated that they allow learning institutions to have unique missions that guide them what they should do. They allow schools to be different.

Leadership Styles

In the view of the first participant, an educational leader should have the capacity of bringing distinct constituencies of a school together to comprehend how quality assurance influences each person. Thus, an educational leader should be able to bring individuals who are involved in the accreditation process to ensure that they can manage to cut down on both academic and administrative sides. On the second participant, he supported collective leadership as ideal for a learning institution to implement. He stipulated that the establishment of a program, such as Effective Leadership Team (ELT) would provide education institutions with opportunities for growth. The third participant believed that the "wa...