Precedentes, debates doctrinales y aprobación del Código Civil de 1889.

There is no universal definition of a PLC because its meaning and interpretation differ from one culture to another. However, each of the words ‘professional learning community’ makes up the important meaning of the term.

According to Talbert and McLaughlin (1994), the word professional implies that a communi- ty’s work is strengthened by: A specialized and technical knowledge base; A strong and committed service ethic to serve the needs of clients; strong personal identity and profes- sional commitment; and professional collegial support and control over standards and prac- tice.

Friedman and Phillips (2004) further supported these underpinnings of professional by sug- gesting that members in professional associations should maintain and develop their knowledge and practice further, committing themselves to service and reflective practice, personal autonomy and responsibility, judgement and abidance to ethical norms.

Furthermore, Kruse, Louise, and Bryk (1994, p. 4) discussed that in a strong professional community, teachers “can work collectively to set and enforce standards of instruction and learning.” These authors further argued that professional communities are strong when teachers engaged in:

 Reflective dialogue;

 De-privatization of their practices;

 In a collective focus on student learning;

 Collaboration; and

 Shared norms.

Also, Hord (1997b, p. 1) found that in a professional community of learners, teachers and administrators in a school “continuously seek and share learning and then act on what they learn.” Hord explained that the goal of the teachers’ and administrators’ actions is to im- prove and maintain their effectiveness as professionals purposely to positively impact on students’ learning.

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A related concept to a PLC is a learning community. The idea of a learning community is adapted from Senge’s concept of learning organizations (V. Boyd & Hord, 1994; Roberts & Pruitt, 2009). According to Senge (1990), learning organizations are:

…organizations where people continually expand their capacity to create the re- sults they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nur- tured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning to see the whole together. (p.3)

V. Boyd and Hord (1994, p. 1) further supported this concept of learning organizations by describing a learning community as “a place where critical inquiry is practiced by collegial partners who share a common vision and engage in shared decision-making.” They asserted that this continuous critical inquiry provides a foundation for school improvement. Building on the concept of learning community, Hord (1997b) noted seven attributes that support a PLC as:

 Supportive and shared leadership;

 Collective learning;

 Shared values and vision;

 Supportive conditions;

 Structural arrangements;

 Collegial relationships; and

 Shared personal practice.

Easton (2011) identified Hord (1997b) as being the first to use the term professional learning community. In contrast, in a more recent study, Edwards (2012, p. 2) argued that there is no distinction between a learning community and a PLC because both concepts are “a social process for turning information into knowledge.” In addition, Edwards maintained that both concepts deal with how teachers learn to change their practice.

However, Timperley and Parr (2004) have made distinguishing features between a profes- sional community and a professional learning community. They argued that a professional community shares idea, work together and provide support for each other. A PLC on the other hand, focuses on raising student achievement and it does so through learning conver- sations that focus on analysing and discussing student achievement. Nevertheless,

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McLaughline and Talbert (2006, p. 4), have further expanded the definition of a PLC to: “where teachers work collaboratively to reflect on their practice, examine evidence about the relationship between practice and student outcomes, and make changes that improve teaching and learning for the particular students in their classes.” They further noted that teacher learning communities within schools hold inter-related functions (build and manage knowledge; create shared language and standards for practice and student outcomes; and maintain a school culture of consistent norms and instructional practice) that provide sup- port for teachers’ knowledge base, professionalism, and potential to make decisions on what they learn.

According to Huffman and Jacobson (2003), the concept of PLC provides a process for its members to mutually work together for building the community. Roberts and Pruitt (2009) also recognised that in order to build a successful learning community in a school, every member including the principal, teachers, students, parents and all other community mem- bers need to engage collaboratively and collectively. As mentioned earlier by V. Boyd and Hord (1994), continuous critical inquiry is the basis for school improvement and student achievement. Thus, Roberts and Pruitt argued that in order to accomplish the goals of their learning community, the community members must engage in dialogue about issues that affect the learning opportunities that are available and offered to all members of the school community.

The process of having the community members working together and being mutually re- sponsible for building the community is also cited in the work of DuFour and Eaker (1998). According to DuFour and Eaker (1998), when members of a learning community in a school work together as a PLC, their members are able to achieve the following:

 Collectively pursue a shared mission, vision, values and goals;

 Collaboratively work in teams focussed on learning;

 Collectively engage in continuous inquiry into best practice, students’ current learn- ing achievement and accepted practices of the school;

 Apply action orientation and experimentation;

 Involve systematic conditions to promote continuous improvement; and

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Furthermore, DuFour (2004) believed that these characteristics are driven by “Three Big Ide- as” that represent the core principles of PLCs: ensure that students learn; engage in a culture of collaboration rather than work in isolation; and constantly focus on results of student learning so that the evidence and indicators of students’ learning may help identify what ad- ditional help students need and also improve classroom practice.

Underpinning the discussions of professional learning community is the interpretation of the term provided by Stoll and Louis (2007). In their study, they claimed that the focus of a PLC is not only on individual teachers’ learning but also on PL of teachers within the context of a united or whole group that focusses on collective knowledge and takes place within an envi- ronment of interpersonal caring relationships that impact the life of students, teachers and school leaders. Edwards (2012) further reiterated that a PLC puts emphasis on group partic- ipation rather than on individual understanding. He mentioned that:

Learning can occur, and group members hopefully weave relationships based on trust and respect in order to increase their sense of belonging and mutual com- mitment. Through communal reflection as individuals collaborate, learning communities work to extend each individual’s understanding of important knowledge but also add to the knowledge base of the entire community, and create new knowledge that will benefit its members, in a unique location. (p. 3) However, in a more recent study DuFour (2011a) has argued that a school does not qualify to become a PLC by participating in a program, re-considering current practices, or adopting the PLC pledge. Instead, “A school becomes a professional learning community only when the educators within it align their practices with PLC concept” (DuFour, 2011a, p. 159).