Date of Award

1-2013

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Education (MEd)

Department

Education

First Advisor

Dr. Abdurrahman Salem Al Nuaimi

Second Advisor

Prof. Mohammad Ahmed Abdel Dayem

Third Advisor

Dr. Ali Al Kaabi

Abstract

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the extent to which the characteristics of Professional Learning Communities were found in cycle one schools in Al-Ain from teachers’ perspectives. The aim was also to investigate if there were differences of participants’ responses based on demographic variables. Using the Professional Learning Communities Assessment (PLCA) developed by Oliver, Hipp, and Huffman (2003), the study answered the following specific question: 1) To what extent do the characteristics of PLC exist in Al-Ain cycle one schools as perceived by teachers?; 2) Are there significant differences between teachers’ perception in terms of age, years of experience and qualifications to the extent to which PLC characteristics are found in Al-Ain cycle one schools?

Out of (1150) teachers in Al-Ain cycle one schools (229) teachers were surveyed. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences program (SPSS), descriptive statistics were used to answer the first question and three way ANOVA test was used to answer the second question.

The main finding of the study was that PLC characteristics and all of its dimensions existed to a high extent in Al-Ain cycle one schools as perceived by teachers where the highest mean score (4.04) was for the dimension Supportive Conditions-Relationships and the lowest mean score (3.68) was for the dimension Supportive Conditions-Structures. Also it was found that the variables of age and years of experience had no significant relation on the teachers’ perception of the existence of PLC characteristics or any of its dimensions in Al-Ain schools, while the variable teachers qualification had a significant relation related to Shared Values and Vision, Shared Personal Practice and Supportive Conditions- Relationship, where the means was higher for the teachers with BA qualification than their peers of higher qualification.

Included in

Education Commons

COinS