Exploring school factors related to professional learning communities: A machine learning approach using cross-national data

Anders Astrup CHRISTENSEN, Kristoffer Laigaard NIELBO, Sedat GUMUS

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlespeer-review

Abstract

In the ongoing endeavour to increase student learning, restructuring schools into professional learning communities (PLCs) remains a popular strategy globally. Multiple studies have investigated positive outcomes associated with PLCs for students and teachers, but limited knowledge exists about factors associated with well-functioning PLCs, such as leadership, organisation, policies, and student and staff composition. We apply machine learning (ML) to explore relationships between PLCs and a wide range of school factors using the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2018. TALIS 2018 provides unique data for this study since it includes substantial information about how schools are managed and the contexts in which they operate across a wide range of countries. We find support for some of the factors mentioned in the literature, as well as identifying other factors not previously explored. Finally, we discuss the potential for further research on how to create optimal conditions for teachers’ engagement in PLCs. Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Original languageEnglish
JournalEducational Studies
Early online dateJun 2024
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - Jun 2024

Citation

Christensen, A. A., Nielbo, K. L., & Gümüş, S. (2024). Exploring school factors related to professional learning communities: A machine learning approach using cross-national data. Educational Studies. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/03055698.2024.2369855

Keywords

  • Professional Learning Communities (PLC)
  • International Large Scale Assessment
  • Machine Learning (ML)
  • Exploratory analysis
  • School leadership

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Exploring school factors related to professional learning communities: A machine learning approach using cross-national data'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.