THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE CHARACTERISTICS OF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES ARE FOUND IN CYCLE ONE SCHOOLS IN AL-AIN FROM TEACHERS' PERSPECTIVE

Fatima Mohammed Manea AI Dhaheri

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

AI-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 questions: 1) To what extent do the characteristics of PLC exist in AI-Ain cycle one schools as perceived by teachers?

2) Are there significant differences between teachers' perception in terms of age, years of experience and qualification 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 ANOV A 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 AI- 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 on any of its dimensions in AI-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.