Date of Award

2014

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

School of Education

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to see if there is a correlation between the implementation of professional learning communities and teacher self-efficacy. This quantitative study involved 86 certified staff members from a low SES school district in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. Survey data was analyzed from two different surveys, the Professional Learning Communities Survey – Revised (PLCA-R) and the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scales (TSES). Participants were asked an open-ended question: "Has the implementation of professional learning communities changed the teachers’ beliefs about teaching and learning?" The findings from this study revealed a significant relationship between six of the eighteen components of professional learning communities and teacher self-efficacy. The six components from greatest correlation to least were shared personal practice to efficacy in student engagement, supportive conditions – relationships to efficacy in student engagement, shared and supportive leadership to efficacy in student engagement, shared personal practice to efficacy in instructional strategies, shared and supportive leadership to efficacy in classroom management, and shared personal practice to efficacy in classroom management.

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