Case Study of a National-Level Initiative of Professional Learning Communities

: The Perspectives of Teachers and Leaders in Post-Basic Education Schools in Oman

Abstract

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are an educational reform strategy that emerged
in Anglo-American contexts in the 1990s. A substantial body of research on PLCs derives
from the Global North, but there has been a lack of research in the Arab region, including in
Oman. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the national-level initiative of PLC use in
Omani schools. This initiative was implemented to enhance school actors’ professional
development and restructure schools to improve educational outcomes. The study’s primary
focus was on school actors’ conceptualisations of PLCs and their leadership practices in
implementing the initiative.
A case study design was employed to examine PLCs in two post-basic education
schools in Oman. This interpretivist study engaged with 24 participants’ perspectives,
including school principals, assistant principals, and teachers. Data were collected through
semi-structured interviews with school leaders (N = 12) and teachers (N = 12). Additionally,
institutional documents from the two schools were examined. A thematic and cross-case
analysis was used to understand the nature of PLCs within schools.
The results of this case study indicate that school actors have a shared understanding
of PLCs, which are highly valued within the school community. In addition, the schools were
at an early stage in becoming PLCs and were characterised by a culture of trust,
collaboration, and explicit strategising for collaborative professional development. The
findings also demonstrate the successful implementation of positional and distributed
leadership practices, which offer the potential for further PLC development. Furthermore, this
study highlights the additional factors necessary to successfully implement PLCs in schools.
This study contributes to school reform efforts, particularly the implementation of
PLCs in contexts outside the Global North. Methodologically, it is one of few studies that
have considered the perspectives of a diverse group of school actors, including teachers and
leaders, thus providing a comprehensive understanding of PLCs within schools. Moreover,
the study offers valuable insights for policymaking and practice by identifying limitations in
current professional learning. It highlights the need for schools to have sufficient autonomy
and resources to address their professional development needs. Finally, the study emphasises
the importance of developing shared visions of PLCs directly involving school teachers and
leaders.

Date of Award	10 Dec 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bristol
Supervisor	Rafael Mitchell (Supervisor) & Navin Kikabhai (Supervisor)