Mapping the Evolution of Professional Learning Communities in Education

Abstract

Professional Learning Communities (PLC) have become a strategic approach for developing teacher professionalism and improving the quality of learning in schools. This study aims to map the development of the PLC concept in the global literature and identify trends, gaps, and research opportunities through a Systematic Literature Review (SLR). The conceptual framework draws on the six PLC dimensions developed by Olivier and Hipp, comprising shared and supportive leadership, shared values and vision, collective learning and application, shared personal practice, and supportive conditions covering relationships and structures. The SLR was conducted by identifying, selecting, and synthesizing 20 internationally reputable scientific articles retrieved from Google Scholar between 2010 and 2024. The findings show that (a) the PLC concept has evolved significantly from a practice-based collaborative approach toward a more complex learning organization framework integrated with leadership, school culture, and improvements in teacher performance and student learning outcomes; and (b) recent research trends point to the importance of distributed leadership, the use of data in decision-making, and the strengthening of a sustainable collaborative culture. Research gaps remain in the holistic integration across PLC dimensions, the implementation context in developing countries, and the measurement of long-term impact on learning quality. The theoretical implications of this study reinforce the relevance of the six PLC dimensions as a comprehensive analytical framework and offer more integrative, contextual directions for future research.