The purpose of this study is to develop a ‘practice model for teacher learning communities in elementary schools’ that helps effectively operate and sustain teacher learning communities in elementary schools. Therefore, an implementation study was...
The purpose of this study is to develop a ‘practice model for teacher learning communities in elementary schools’ that helps effectively operate and sustain teacher learning communities in elementary schools. Therefore, an implementation study was conducted to develop a model that includes general guidelines so that teachers in the field can systematically and practically operate a teacher learning community. The practice model development process of this study was carried out in the development stage, verification stage, implementation stage, and completion stage.
First, in the development stage, a research model (draft) was developed through prior research, literature analysis, and expert consultation. Second, in the verification stage, the validity of the content of experts on the constituent factors of the teacher learning community in elementary schools and the research model (draft) was verified. Three content experts and seven field experts who have a high understanding of the teacher learning community and have a great influence on its operation verified the content validity and calculated the CVI and IRA. Based on the results of the experts' verification, the revised primary component and the primary research model were determined. Third, in the implementation stage, the implementation study was carried out as the primary research model. In the implementation study, field teachers participated in teacher learning community activities in elementary schools for a total of 14 sessions and developed a secondary research model, including secondary components and procedural models. Fourth, in the completion stage, in order to confirm the field applicability of the second research model, the pilot test for the second session was applied to the teacher learning community of other schools that did not participate in the implementation study, and the final model was completed by reflecting the suitability results.
The results of this study were as follows. First, the 'Effective Practice Model of Teacher Learning Community in Elementary Schools' categorizes the frame of teachers' collaborative exploration and practice for student learning enhancement and experience growth into common, individual, team, and organizational dimensions. Teachers can better understand the structural and interactive relationships and changes in the teacher learning community through multidimensional frames. These intuitive insights help teachers effectively address the dynamics that drive the outcome of their actions and make their teacher learning communities more prosperous. Second, the constituent factors of the practice model developed in this study acted as an internal driver for the operation of the teacher-learning community, leading to the qualitative difference in educational change and materializing the results of improvement. Therefore, schools could promoted the continuation of development through self-examination of 16 components and 53 sub-factors. Third, as a management strategy for the teacher-learning community, the organic and dynamic interaction relationship between dimensions was presented as the operating principle. In order to effectively operate a teacher-learning community, it is necessary to enhance the dynamism of operation by bringing together the three dimensions with common values, shared vision, and distributed leadership as the central driving force, and the school culture of trust, respect, and cooperation, which is the foundation of community beliefs, should lead the teacher-learning community. On the other hand, from a macro perspective, in order for the teacher learning community to form, develop, and continue with a vision of fostering human resources that meet the needs of the times and changes in the educational field, the process of building a new vision based on reflective evaluation, rather than a one-time operation method, should be operated as a virtuous cycle system. Fourth, the 'Teacher Learning Community Practice Model in Elementary Schools' was developed through experts' verification and implementation research on the research model (draft), so it provided a systematic and generalized framework suitable for operating a teacher learning community. Therefore, teachers in the field will be able to provide practical help in effectively operating the teacher learning community.
In conclusion, the 'Practice Model of Teacher Learning Community in Elementary Schools' developed in this study can help a clear understanding of teacher learning community because it can intuitively view the teacher learning community as a whole through systematic thinking. In addition, since the operation strategy of the teacher learning community is presented as the operating principle, the concept of the teacher learning community can be substantiated, effectively operated, and the continuation of development can be promoted. Above all, the Team-Level Teacher Learning Community Procedural Model developed by the implementation study provides specific details on the tasks and methods to be performed by teachers in the 6-Layer activity protocol, so it can be used as a practical guideline for student learning enhancement and experience growth.