Ensieh Fayazi Nasab - Islamic Azad University, Neyshabur Branch, Neyshabur, Iran

This paper presents a review of studies on the impact of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) on teaching practices and student learning. The collective results of these studies suggest that well-developed PLCs have positive impact on both teaching practice and student achievement. Teacher professional development is essential to efforts to improve our schools. This article maps the terrain of research on this important topic. It first provides an overview of how the professional learning education is defined and provides details about the effective professional development programs and their impact on teacher learning. International evidence suggests that educational reform’s progress depends on teachers’ individual and collective capacity and its link with school-wide capacity for promoting pupils’ learning. Developing professional learning communities appears to hold considerable promise for capacity building for sustainable improvement. As such, it has become a ‘hot topic’ in many countries.

Professional Learning Communities; Teacher Training and Education