Reorienting Teacher Professional Development in Kenya: Professional Learning Communities Paradigm

Abstract

Continuous teacher professional development is critical in the wake of the rapidly changing dynamics of the teaching and learning environment. Effective teacher professional development is one that is collaborative and embedded in teachers’ daily practice in schools. In Kenya, The Teachers’ Service Commission(TSC) rolled out a Teacher Professional Development Program(TPD) for teachers and instructional leaders in December, 2021. It is envisaged that through the program teachers will acquire requisite professional skills and competencies to ultimately improve learner outcomes. The purpose of this study was therefore to assess the level of formation and utilization of Professional Learning Communities among the first cohort of the Teacher Professional Development Program. Objectives of the study: to find out the extent to which Professional Learning Communities have been established; to establish the extent to which teachers are utilizing the Professional Learning Communities; to establish the role of the instructional leaders in teacher Professional Learning Communities. The paper was based on review of literature on Teacher Professional Development worldwide, documentation of best practices and lived experiences of authors as facilitators in the TSC-TPD program. The paper will contribute significant information on the status of teacher collaboration through Professional Learning Communities and bring to the fore lessons learnt and areas of improvement to enhance teacher collaboration, a vital characteristic of effective Teacher Professional Development. The review concludes that the program offered an opportunity for enrolled teachers to engage in online professional learning communities at the national level using a variety of online platforms. The engagements however need to be sustained beyond the online session time and be cascaded to the school level to enhance continuous collaboration and impact on learning outcomes. There is need for more advocacy on the program and its benefits to the teacher and the learner.