FACTORS AFFECTING THE OPERATION OF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES OF ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHERS AT VIETNAMESE ECONOMICS UNIVERSITIES
Main Article Content
Abstract
Abstract: This research paper examines the factors influencing the operation of professional learning communities (PLCs) among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers at Vietnamese economics universities. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study integrates quantitative survey data with qualitative interviews from four universities in Hanoi to provide a more profound understanding of PLC implementation and management in Vietnam higher education contexts. The key findings indicate that strong institutional support, effective leadership, high teacher engagement, and favorable external conditions are essential for the success of PLCs in the investigated institutions. The study identifies significant challenges, such as the lack of synchronization in PLC activities and inconsistencies in quality management, which impede PLC effectiveness. Recommendations include developing structured models and policies to foster collaborative learning, promoting a culture of continuous professional development, and ensuring external conditions are conducive to PLC sustainability. This research enriches the existing literature on PLCs by analyzing their dynamics within Vietnamese higher education and offers practical strategies for educational leaders and policymakers to enhance PLC operations. Ultimately, these recommendations aim to support the professional growth of EFL university teachers and improve the overall quality of education in Vietnamese economics universities (VEUs).
Article Details
Keywords
professional learning communities, EFL teachers, economics universities in Vietnam, professional development
References
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Brown, B. D., Horn, R. S., & King, G. (2018). The Effective Implementation of Professional Learning Communities. Alabama Journal of Educational Leadership, 5, 53-59.
Creswell, J. W., & Clark, V. L. P. (2018). Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research (3rd ed.). Sage Publications.
Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (4th ed.). Sage Publications.
Creswell, J. W. (2009). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (3rd ed.). Sage Publications.
Derk, K. (2019). Sociocultural Influences on PLC Effectiveness. Journal of Educational Research, 112(2), 243-255.
DuFour, R. (2004). What is a Professional Learning Community? Educational Leadership, 61(8), 6-11.
DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., & Many, T. (2005). The Power of Professional Learning Communities. National Educational Service.
Eisner, E. W. (1998). The Enlightened Eye: Qualitative Inquiry and the Enhancement of Educational Practice. Merrill.
Ghaith, G., & Shaaban, K. (1999). The relationship between perceptions of teaching concerns, teacher efficacy, and selected teacher characteristics. Teaching and Teacher Education, 15(5), 487-496.
Gibbs, G. (2007). Analyzing Qualitative Data. Sage Publications.
Green, J. (2007). Mixed Methods in Social Inquiry. John Wiley & Sons.
Grossman, P., Wineburg, S., & Woolworth, S. (2001). Toward a Theory of Teacher Community. Teachers College Record, 103(6), 942-1012.
Hargreaves, A. (1994). Changing Teachers, Changing Times: Teachers' Work and Culture in the Postmodern Age. Teachers College Press.
Hargreaves, A. (2007). Sustainable Professional Learning Communities. Journal of Educational Change, 8(3), 221-258.
Harris, A., & Jones, M. (2010). Professional learning communities and system improvement. Improving Schools, 13(2), 172-181. https://doi.org/10.1177/1365480210376487
Haukås, Å., & Drange, E. M. D. (2024). Teachers’ beliefs and experiences regarding collaboration across language subjects. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2024.2413443
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Hoa, N. T. (2008). The Role of Professional Learning Communities in Enhancing Teaching Practices at Vietnamese Universities. Journal of Educational Development, 5(2), 15-26.
Hord, S. M. (1997). Professional Learning Communities: Communities of Continuous Inquiry and Improvement. Southwest Educational Development Laboratory.
Ikpuri, E. O., & Peter, G. O. (2024). Professional Learning Communities: A Mechanism for Enhancing Teachers' Professional Agency. International Journal of Latest Research in Humanities and Social Science (IJLRHSS), 7(1),74-81.
Johnson, B., & Christensen, L. (2012). Educational Research: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Approaches (4th ed.). Sage Publications.
Khasawneh, Y. J. A., Alsarayreh, R., Ajlouni, A. A. A., Eyadat, H. M., Ayasrah, M. N., & Khasawneh, M. A. S. (2023). An examination of teacher collaboration in professional learning communities and collaborative teaching practices. Journal of Education and E-Learning Research, 10(3), 446–452. https://doi.org/10.20448/jeelr.v10i3.4841
Kilbane, J. (2006). Factors in Sustaining Professional Learning Community. NASSP Bulletin, 93(3),184-205. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192636509358923
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Li, Y. (2013). Professional Development of EFL Teachers in China. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 4(5), 1045-1054.
Lomos, C., Hofman, R. H., & Bosker, R. J. (2011). Professional communities and student achievement—a meta-analysis. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 22(2), 121-148.
Maton, K. (2009). Cumulative and segmented learning: exploring the role of curriculum structures in knowledge-building. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 30(1), 43-57. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40375403
Mitchell, C., & Sackney, L. (2011). Profound Improvement: Building Capacity for a Learning Community. Routledge.
Mitchell, C. (2007). Sustaining Professional Learning Communities. Corwin Press.
Mullen, C. A. (2009). The Handbook of Leadership and Professional Learning Communities. Palgrave Macmillan.
Nguyen, H. T., Fehring, H., & Warren, W. (2015). Professional learning communities: Practices and obstacles reported by EFL teachers in Vietnam. International Journal of Education, 7(2), 33-47.
Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods (3rd ed.). Sage Publications.
Phan, T. C. M. (2020). Professional learning in a Vietnamese university language teaching context: An inquiry-driven approach [Doctoral Dissertation, The University of Waikato]. https://hdl.handle.net/10289/13756
Prenger, R., Poortman, C. L., & Handelzalts, A. (2017). Factors influencing teachers’ professional development in networked professional learning communities. Teaching and Teacher Education, 68, 77-90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2017.08.014
Stoll, L. (2006). Professional Learning Communities: An International Perspective. McGraw-Hill Education.
Stoll, L., Bolam, R., McMahon, A., Wallace, M., & Thomas, S. (2006). Professional learning communities: A review of the literature. Journal of Educational Change, 7(4), 221-258.
Stoll, L., & Louis, K. S. (2007). Professional Learning Communities: Divergence, Depth and Dilemmas. McGraw-Hill Education.
Timperley, H., Wilson, A., Barrar, H., & Fung, I. (2009). Teacher Professional Learning and Development. Best Evidence Synthesis Iteration [BES].
van den Boom-Muilenburg, S. N., de Vries, S., van Veen, K., Poortman, C. L., & Schildkamp, K. (2021). Understanding sustainable professional learning communities by considering school leaders’ interpretations and educational beliefs. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 27(4), 934–961. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603124.2021.1937705
Vo, T. T., & Mai Nguyen, H. (2010). PLCs in Vietnamese Universities: Challenges and Prospects. Vietnam Journal of Education, 3(1), 11-20.
Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning, and Identity. Cambridge University Press.
Yan, C., & Yang, L. (2019). Teacher Professional Development through PLCs in China: A Systematic Review. Asian-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 47(3), 245-264.
Yin, R. K. (2009). Case Study Research: Design and Methods (4th ed.). Sage Publications.
Zhang, J., & Pang, N. SK. (2016). Exploring the Characteristics of Professional Learning Communities in China: A Mixed-Method Study. Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 25, 11-21. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-015-0228-3
Burns, M. K., Naughton, M. R., Preast, J. L., Wang, Z., Gordon, R. L., Robb, V., & Smith, M. L. (2017). Factors of Professional Learning Community Implementation and Effect on Student Achievement. Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation, 28(4), 394-412. https://doi.org/10.1080/10474412.2017.1385396
Boone, L. E. (2014). The Theory of Organizational Learning. Wiley.
Brody, C. (1998). The Significance of Teacher Beliefs for Professional Development and Cooperative Learning. In C. Brody & N. Davidson (Eds), Professional Development for Cooperative learning: Issues and Approaches (pp 25–48). State University of New York Press.
Brown, B. D., Horn, R. S., & King, G. (2018). The Effective Implementation of Professional Learning Communities. Alabama Journal of Educational Leadership, 5, 53-59.
Creswell, J. W., & Clark, V. L. P. (2018). Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research (3rd ed.). Sage Publications.
Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (4th ed.). Sage Publications.
Creswell, J. W. (2009). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (3rd ed.). Sage Publications.
Derk, K. (2019). Sociocultural Influences on PLC Effectiveness. Journal of Educational Research, 112(2), 243-255.
DuFour, R. (2004). What is a Professional Learning Community? Educational Leadership, 61(8), 6-11.
DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., & Many, T. (2005). The Power of Professional Learning Communities. National Educational Service.
Eisner, E. W. (1998). The Enlightened Eye: Qualitative Inquiry and the Enhancement of Educational Practice. Merrill.
Ghaith, G., & Shaaban, K. (1999). The relationship between perceptions of teaching concerns, teacher efficacy, and selected teacher characteristics. Teaching and Teacher Education, 15(5), 487-496.
Gibbs, G. (2007). Analyzing Qualitative Data. Sage Publications.
Green, J. (2007). Mixed Methods in Social Inquiry. John Wiley & Sons.
Grossman, P., Wineburg, S., & Woolworth, S. (2001). Toward a Theory of Teacher Community. Teachers College Record, 103(6), 942-1012.
Hargreaves, A. (1994). Changing Teachers, Changing Times: Teachers' Work and Culture in the Postmodern Age. Teachers College Press.
Hargreaves, A. (2007). Sustainable Professional Learning Communities. Journal of Educational Change, 8(3), 221-258.
Harris, A., & Jones, M. (2010). Professional learning communities and system improvement. Improving Schools, 13(2), 172-181. https://doi.org/10.1177/1365480210376487
Haukås, Å., & Drange, E. M. D. (2024). Teachers’ beliefs and experiences regarding collaboration across language subjects. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2024.2413443
Hipp, K. K., & Huffman, J. B. (2003). Professional Learning Communities: Assessment - Development - Effects. University Press of America.
Hipp, K. K., & Huffman, J. B. (2010). Demystifying Professional Learning Communities: School Leadership at Its Best. Rowman & Littlefield.
Hoa, N. T. (2008). The Role of Professional Learning Communities in Enhancing Teaching Practices at Vietnamese Universities. Journal of Educational Development, 5(2), 15-26.
Hord, S. M. (1997). Professional Learning Communities: Communities of Continuous Inquiry and Improvement. Southwest Educational Development Laboratory.
Ikpuri, E. O., & Peter, G. O. (2024). Professional Learning Communities: A Mechanism for Enhancing Teachers' Professional Agency. International Journal of Latest Research in Humanities and Social Science (IJLRHSS), 7(1),74-81.
Johnson, B., & Christensen, L. (2012). Educational Research: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Approaches (4th ed.). Sage Publications.
Khasawneh, Y. J. A., Alsarayreh, R., Ajlouni, A. A. A., Eyadat, H. M., Ayasrah, M. N., & Khasawneh, M. A. S. (2023). An examination of teacher collaboration in professional learning communities and collaborative teaching practices. Journal of Education and E-Learning Research, 10(3), 446–452. https://doi.org/10.20448/jeelr.v10i3.4841
Kilbane, J. (2006). Factors in Sustaining Professional Learning Community. NASSP Bulletin, 93(3),184-205. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192636509358923
Lee, J. (2012). Cumulative learning. In N. M. Seel (Eds), Encyclopedia of the sciences of learning (pp. 887-893). Springer US, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1428-6_1660
Li, Y. (2013). Professional Development of EFL Teachers in China. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 4(5), 1045-1054.
Lomos, C., Hofman, R. H., & Bosker, R. J. (2011). Professional communities and student achievement—a meta-analysis. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 22(2), 121-148.
Maton, K. (2009). Cumulative and segmented learning: exploring the role of curriculum structures in knowledge-building. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 30(1), 43-57. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40375403
Mitchell, C., & Sackney, L. (2011). Profound Improvement: Building Capacity for a Learning Community. Routledge.
Mitchell, C. (2007). Sustaining Professional Learning Communities. Corwin Press.
Mullen, C. A. (2009). The Handbook of Leadership and Professional Learning Communities. Palgrave Macmillan.
Nguyen, H. T., Fehring, H., & Warren, W. (2015). Professional learning communities: Practices and obstacles reported by EFL teachers in Vietnam. International Journal of Education, 7(2), 33-47.
Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods (3rd ed.). Sage Publications.
Phan, T. C. M. (2020). Professional learning in a Vietnamese university language teaching context: An inquiry-driven approach [Doctoral Dissertation, The University of Waikato]. https://hdl.handle.net/10289/13756
Prenger, R., Poortman, C. L., & Handelzalts, A. (2017). Factors influencing teachers’ professional development in networked professional learning communities. Teaching and Teacher Education, 68, 77-90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2017.08.014
Stoll, L. (2006). Professional Learning Communities: An International Perspective. McGraw-Hill Education.
Stoll, L., Bolam, R., McMahon, A., Wallace, M., & Thomas, S. (2006). Professional learning communities: A review of the literature. Journal of Educational Change, 7(4), 221-258.
Stoll, L., & Louis, K. S. (2007). Professional Learning Communities: Divergence, Depth and Dilemmas. McGraw-Hill Education.
Timperley, H., Wilson, A., Barrar, H., & Fung, I. (2009). Teacher Professional Learning and Development. Best Evidence Synthesis Iteration [BES].
van den Boom-Muilenburg, S. N., de Vries, S., van Veen, K., Poortman, C. L., & Schildkamp, K. (2021). Understanding sustainable professional learning communities by considering school leaders’ interpretations and educational beliefs. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 27(4), 934–961. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603124.2021.1937705
Vo, T. T., & Mai Nguyen, H. (2010). PLCs in Vietnamese Universities: Challenges and Prospects. Vietnam Journal of Education, 3(1), 11-20.
Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning, and Identity. Cambridge University Press.
Yan, C., & Yang, L. (2019). Teacher Professional Development through PLCs in China: A Systematic Review. Asian-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 47(3), 245-264.
Yin, R. K. (2009). Case Study Research: Design and Methods (4th ed.). Sage Publications.
Zhang, J., & Pang, N. SK. (2016). Exploring the Characteristics of Professional Learning Communities in China: A Mixed-Method Study. Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 25, 11-21. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-015-0228-3