Professional learning communities: the journey from ‘do we HAVE to go there’ to ‘teachers getting together and being colleagues

This paper explores persistent obstacles undermining in situ teacher professional development as well as possibilities for learning and growth in a professional learning community (PLC). We extend the existing scholarship in this field by examining how teachers' discursive practices can predict the success or failure of a PLC initiative. We used finegrained conversational analysis, focusing on teachers' talk to generate insights into how teachers position themselves and define their participation in a PLC, telegraphing possible outcomes of a PLC initiative. We followed the professional trajectories of four in-service high school science teachers over two years. We examined how their collaborative work shaped teachers' identities, practices, and agentive actions to elevate their classroom practice. Attending to teachers' discourses about their professional learning needs when inviting them to engage with their professional development is crucial for meaningful engagement in this process. Moreover, developing opportunities for them to take ownership of the PLC's structural underpinnings and lead their learning process help to generate productive learning spaces promoting professional growth. This research informs us how teachers can support each other in developing their identity and agency regarding their learning and engagement in pedagogic work.