The Relationship Between School Culture And Professional Learning Communities In Elementary Schools

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between school culture, teacher perceptions of professional learning community (PLC) implementation, and student achievement in elementary schools in a large school district in South Carolina. The theoretical framework for this study (the School Culture Survey [SCS] and Professional Learning Community Assessment-Revised [PLCA-R] survey instruments) were utilized along with interviews to collect data. Two elementary schools were studied, and a total of nine survey responses were collected. In order to further describe the survey data, 11 interviews were conducted. Descriptive statistics were utilized to analyze data. Due to the limited responses, this study has no statistical significance, but trends were visible between the two schools studied. Based on the results, the researcher recommends that this study be replicated with additional schools within the district. The researcher also recommends that schools administer the SCS to schools to identify the culture of schools and areas for improvement first. Then, it is recommended that ongoing professional learning opportunities be offered on the benefits and expectations of PLCs.