Doing More with Less: Teacher Professional Learning Communities in Resource-Constrained Primary Schools in Rural China

Tanja C. Sargent, Rutgers University
Emily C. Hannum, University of Pennsylvania

Abstract

Teacher professional learning communities provide environments in which teachers engage in regular research and collaboration. They have been found effective as a means for connecting professional learning to the day-to-day realities faced by teachers in the classroom. In this paper, we draw on survey data collected in primary schools serving 100 villages in rural Gansu Province, as well as transcripts from in-depth interviews with 30 teachers. Our findings suggest that professional learning communities penetrate to some of China’s most resource-constrained schools, but that their development is affected by institutional supports, principal leadership, teacher initiative, and economic constraints.