Collaboration Counts: Sustained Success in Professional Learning Communities

This study explores the long-term impact of a professional development initiative on four professional learning communities focused on enhancing the teaching of Grade 9 mathematics. Despite differing contexts and organizational structures, two essential features of professional development emerged as the most valued by participants: (1) opportunities for collaboration with peers and (2) a focus on content and pedagogy during collaboration. Over time, these collaborative learning experiences were credited by teachers with supporting sustainable changes in their instructional practices. Even 5 years after the initiative, participants reported sustained changes in classroom practices and school culture, highlighting the value of intentional collaboration on curriculum and pedagogy. This research also suggests that teacher agency may be an important component in professional development and supports the notion that effective professional development can lead to lasting change when it is designed around meaningful, content-specific collaboration. These findings contribute to the ongoing conversation about what makes professional development successful in improving teaching outcomes.