An Investigation of the Relationship between Professional Learning Community Practices and Student Achievement in an Eastern Canadian School Board

Oct 15, 2026

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A district-wide study examined whether Professional Learning Community (PLC) practices influence student achievement in an Eastern Canadian school board. Surveys were distributed to 1,514 teachers across 84 schools, with 1,423 usable responses and a 94% return rate. A follow-up three years later collected 1,574 teacher responses from 78 schools. Teachers’ PLC perceptions were measured with 32 Likert items and factor analyzed using ML estimation, yet no significant measurable effect on student learning was detected despite strong board emphasis and collaborative implementation.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages15

Reading Time38 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Background and Rationale

Theoretical Basis for PLC and Shared Leadership

Study Purpose and Research Gap

Method

Participation

An Investigation of the Relationship between Professional Learning Community Practices and Student Achievement in an Eastern Canadian School Board Noel Hurley, Tim Seifert, & Bruce Sheppard Faculty of Education, Memorial University Abstract The participants in this study were teachers and students ofa large school district located on the east coast of Canada. We distributed surveys to 1,514 teachers across 84 schools and received 1,423 usable surveys for a return rate of 94%. At the time of the second data collection, three years later, 1574 teachers from 78 schools agreed to participate. Teachers’perceptions oftheir schools as professional learning communities were assessed using 32 items in a 5-point Likert format. The responses to the 2006 survey were factor analyzed using ML estimation. A number of different factor structures were tested, including a single factor model and a second-order factor analysis. In spite of a heavy emphasis by school board leaders and the collaborative development, introduction, and implementation of PLC practices before and during the study period, no significant measurable effect on student learning was identified. Keywords: professional learning communities, change implementation, educational change, collaborative leadership, linear growth models, and reading achievement In the past decade or so, a growing emphasis on student achievement as a measure of school success has contributed to an increased research focus on the determination of the effects of school leadership upon student test scores. At this point in time, most researchers have come to recognize that developing any meaningful direct connection between the role of the formal leader (e.g., the school principal) and student learning outcomes is unlikely (Anderson, Moore, & Sun, 2009; Leithwood & Mascall, 2008; Mascall, Leithwood, Strauss, & Sacks, 2009). As a consequence, most researchers have focused on identifying both the direct and indirect paths by which various leadership sources and/or various leadership functions influence important school goals (York-Barr & Duke, 2004) . This shift in research focus in respect to school leadership has resulted in growing evidence that leadership is more effective when it is shared among professionals within the school (DuFour, Eaker, & DuFour, 2004; Elmore, 2000; Marzano, Waters, & McNulty, 2005; Reeves, 2008). Menlo (2011) contended that not only is shared decision making important in bringing about beneficial improvements to schooling, but it is essential that those with whom decision making is shared take up the responsibility to take action for the sustainability of those changes. Similarly, Hargreaves and Fink (2003) stated that wise principals realize that they cannot reach instructional goals on their own. They contended that principals who distribute leadership over their schools are more likely to sustain school improvement. Leithwood, Seashore-Louis, Anderson, and Wahlstrom (2004) claimed that the most successful principals develop and rely on the expertise of teacher-leaders within their schools. Consistent with the above noted evidence related to the importance of distribution of leadership for school success, over the past decade many school jurisdictions, particularly in the western world, have in- vested much time and money in adapting what have become known as Professional Learning Community (PLC) practices (DuFour et al., 2005; Giles & Hargreaves, 2006; Hall & Hord, 2006). Even though many school jurisdictions have adopted these PLC practices as a means of improving student learning, research evidence revealing the success of this approach to improvement remains sparse. The paucity of empirical evidence revealing a positive impact of professional learning community initiatives led Sheppard, Brown, and Dibbon (2009) to observe that “the term professional learning has been co-opted by schools, school districts, departments of education, and consulting firms as the

FAQs

What was the main research question of the study?

The study investigated the relationship between professional learning community (PLC) practices and student learning outcomes in one Eastern Canadian school district.

How were teacher perceptions of PLC practices measured?

Teachers’ perceptions were assessed using 32 items on a 5-point Likert format, and survey responses were factor analyzed using ML estimation.

Did PLC practices show a measurable effect on student learning?

No significant measurable effect on student learning was identified despite heavy emphasis by school board leaders and collaborative PLC implementation during the study period.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Muffet