| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立臺北教育大學 === 教育經營與管理學系 === 101 === The aim of this research is to look at the leaders’ awareness regarding the development of teacher’s professional learning communities in the elementary schools of New Taipei City and will also interrogate the project of teacher’s professional learning communities promoted by the New Taipei City from the perspective of the community leaders. Through the examination, the research attempts to present practical examples of the development of teachers’ professional communities, as well as to provide specific suggestions regarding the development of teachers’ professional communities as a reference for educational authorities, school administration units, leaders of teacher’s professional learning communities and further researchers.
In this study, an interview survey was adopted as a research method for the purpose of data collection and analysis of the research objects. The research objects are namely both the leaders from teachers’ professional learning communities and the sharing platform of teachers’ professional learning communities. These two kinds of communities belong to the three-level system of teachers’ professional learning communities of New Taipei City. The conclusions of this investigation were shown as below:
1.Prior to the establishment of formal teachers’ professional learning communities, there were already informal communities in place, and the leaders of teachers’ professional learning who were specialized in clustering professional resources usually had a radical effect on the trends, and the establishment, of the community.
2.The teachers’ professional learning communities set student learning as its core feature, and the features of the teachers’ professional learning communities gradually appeared through the interaction in between the members without the reinforcement by the leaders.
3.The development of the teachers’ professional learning communities can be divided into the forming stage (consisting of trial and error), the operating stage (which consists of the successful creation of the community), and the sustaining stage (consisting of further improvement and innovation of the community). In addition, the community benefited from the leaders’, and the community members’ awareness, and management, of these stages.
4.A shared feature among the leaders of the teachers’ professional learning communities was their firm determinism, consistent enthusiasm, willingness to learn and extensive professional knowledge. The leaders also undertook different roles at different stages in the development of the community, such as initiator, manager, supporter, demonstrator and guide.
5.Shaping and constructing the best teachers’ professional learning community needed the trust, empowerment and introspection of all members of the community. This also required the full support of parties outside of the community, such as the school principles, administrators and other parties external to the school.
6.In evaluating the effectiveness of the teachers’ professional learning communities in terms of students’ outcome, we should assess the effects on student’s knowledge, emotions and skills. With regard to the communities’ effect on teachers, we should consider how it has enhanced teaching and the change in teaching methods it has encouraged. In regard to the community, we should evaluate the operation and management as a whole, so as to obtain a full picture of its status.
7.Obstacles encountered by the teachers’ professional learning communities can be discussed in four areas; the leader, the community members, the support of school administrators and the structure. All four areas highlighted a lack of available time for all parties. In addition, the interview showed that communities faced the least obstacles in the area of obtaining the support of school administrators.
8.The teachers’ professional learning communities supervised by one of the parallel systems - the Plan of Teacher Evaluation for Professional Development and the three-level system of teachers’ professional learning communities of New Taipei City - show a two-track condition in which they need to choose in between to release the workload of the overlapped affairs.
9.Professional guidance and communication between leaders in between communities or across the cities was the connecting mechanism that the teachers’ professional learning communities lacked.
10.In comparison with other teachers, subject teachers are few in the number of the faculty and they had difficulty establishing the teachers’ professional learning communities. Communities of professional development based on themes barely met teachers’ needs in practice.
The above conclusions and the provision of specific suggestions have been made as a reference for educational authorities, school administration units, the leaders of teachers’ professional learning communities and also for the researchers in the relative field.
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