Cette recherche s’intéresse aux effets induits par les dispositifs numériques de partage social sur les pratiques de collaboration, de communication et de médiation d’étudiants, dans un contexte situé de formation à distance. L’objectif est d’appréhender le processus de collaboration à l’origine de l’apprenance collective qui s’illustre dans les communautés d’apprentissage, constituées en marge de l’institution académique. Notre approche empirique par systématique hypothético-déductive est une observation netnographique menée auprès d’individus inscrits en Bachelor et Mastère dans un centre de formation privé. Notre corpus est composé de 1405 messages recueillis sur les forums de la plateforme institutionnelle et sur Facebook ou Google+ pour les groupes communautaires à l’initiative des étudiants. Nous recourons à une catégorisation de l’activité d’apprentissage suivant quatre dimensions intrinsèques à l’intervention des usagers sur les forums. Les phénomènes observés sont analysés suivant trois variables dépendantes : la temporalité, la reconnaissance sociale et le pouvoir hiérarchique. Notre ancrage est la théorie critique des médias de l’école de Francfort. Nous faisons l’hypothèse que les dispositifs sociotechniques d’information et de communication participent de l’horizontalisation des usages estudiantins. Nos observations de terrain révèlent en effet que les apprenants préfèrent s’en remettre à leurs pairs plutôt que solliciter l’institution ou les tuteurs en ligne. S’ils privilégient leur disponibilité indéfectible, ils accordent une plus grande importance à leur réactivité. Nous pensons que le clivage qui oppose l’environnement académique à la sphère estudiantine est pour partie le fait de deux temporalités distinctes. L’une verticale, celle de l’environnement numérique de travail (ENT), l’autre plus horizontale, caractérisée par les échanges entre pairs au sein de l’environnement personnel d’apprentissage (EPA). L’asynchronisme qui résulte de ces deux dispositifs engendre des effets de détournement d’usage par lesquels les étudiants exportent les ressources institutionnelles vers leur communauté. Mais l’analyse des praxis communautaires révèle d’autres artefacts induits par les technologies numériques. Qu’il s’agisse de désintermédiation ou d’accélération temporelle, ces usagers attirés par le modèle a hiérarchique, se retrouvent à leur insu dans un processus de domination sociale. Nous soulignons les effets pernicieux liés à l’accélération temporelle particulièrement prégnante dans la génération d’étudiants observée. / This research is interested in the effects led by the digital devices plans of social sharing on the pratices of collaboration, communication and mediation of students in context of distance learning. The goal is the understand the origin of the collaborative process of collective apprenance which is illustrated in the communities of apprenticeship outside the academic institution. A netnographic observation is conducted whith Bachelor and Master's degree in a private training center ; our corpus is made of 1405 messages taken in the forums of the institutional platform and on Facebook or Google +. We assume the information and communication sociotechnical devices participate in the horizontalisation of student's practices. We highlight the paradox of these learning communities which are, unwittingly, in a process of social domination by having choosing a priori a decentralized structure

A qualitative investigation was conducted to explore teacher perceptions of Professional Learning Communities on the instructional climate at Flintville Elementary School in Lincoln County, Tennessee. Participants in the study included five teachers, the evaluation supervisor, and one parent from Flintville Elementary School. Through the analysis of interviews and a review of documents collected from Professional Learning Communities (PLC) meetings in grades Pre-K through 8, the investigator was able to extract meaning and code the data into categories that led to an understanding of the perceptions being researched. Professional Learning Communities at Flintville Elementary School have changed the instructional climate concerning teacher collaboration and teamwork as well as attitudes of teachers regarding students. The data from the interviews and documented PLC meetings indicated that teachers were working together to develop and analyze common assessments, cultivate individual student growth and success, and reach the standardized testing goals for the school. As a result of PLCs, teachers were having professional conversations on improving student achievement and increasing teacher effectiveness, which indicated a climate change. Teachers were also using PLC meetings as a source for developing in-house professional development activities. Teachers were developing skills in the school based PLC meetings that would allow them to conduct professional development activities. The results of this study were intended as a reference for schools that may be involved in the future implementation of Professional Learning Communities as a tool for changing instructional climate and as a way to improve student achievement through collaboration among teachers.

Demands for increased school accountability created by No Child Left Behind and Every Student Succeeds legislation has resulted in the implementation of professional development programs in which educators are observers rather than collaborative participants. The problem at a secondary independent charter school in Central Ohio was the lack of a collaborative culture in which teachers and administrators were committed to professional development and accepted collective responsibility for the achievement of all learners. The purpose of the study was to investigate the perceptions and experiences of teachers and administrators about the practice of distributed leadership and how it contributed to the functionality of a professional learning community (PLC). The conceptual framework was derived from DuFour's work on PLCs, which provided a strategy for the development of collaborative school cultures. The research questions focused on the experiences of administrators and teachers who utilized distributed leadership in the formation and continued operation of a PLC. A case study design was used to capture the insights of 2 administrators and 7 teachers through interviews and observations; a purposeful sampling process was used to select the participants. Emergent themes were identified through open coding, and the findings were developed and checked for trustworthiness through member checking and triangulation. The findings revealed that distributed leadership requires administrator empowerment of teachers to work collaboratively in an environment of mutual trust. Findings were used to create a professional development workshop designed to increase faculty collaboration and enhance teacher efficacy. This study has implications for positive social change by providing administrators with a structure for developing teacher leaders.

National Board Certification (NBC) offers the highest certification possible to teachers who can meet the rigorous standards of this process. This certification develops reflective practitioners through a series of components designed to be used in authentic settings with students. Previous research shows the value of employing National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) for raising student achievement, creating teacher leaders, and developing a reflective culture in schools. Increasing the number of NBCTs could have a profound impact in our schools. This study explored the renewal rates and the perceived value of California NBCTs who certified in 2005 & 2006 using a survey created from two existing instruments. Both qualitative and quantitative data concerning initial motivating factors, renewal decisions and the benefits of holding NBC were collected. The analysis of the results indicated financial incentives were the number one reason for renewing. Conversely, the cost and/or lack of financial incentives ranked highest on the list for not renewing. While financial incentives were identified most frequently as an original motivator, the NBCTs in this study reported professional development as the most powerful effect of being a NBCT. A study of the literature demonstrated that the NBC process contains all of the components of quality professional development programs supporting this benefit and providing a program for structured professional development for districts and schools seeking a positive change in instructional practice.

University personnel offering online doctoral degrees struggle to address high attrition of students in the dissertation phase; these students can feel isolated, disconnected, and unmotivated. The purpose of this study was to explore ways online doctoral students in the dissertation phase used social networking sites (SNS) to overcome isolation and to increase persistence. The conceptual framework was situated in communities of practice (CoP) and the theory on self-determination. Research questions explored participants' experiences with using SNS to remain connected and persistent. Data were collected from in-depth interviews with 7 online doctoral students, who met the criteria of being in the dissertation phase for a minimum of 2 quarters and using at least 1 social networking site; the participants were from 4 online institutions in the United States. An interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to examine themes and interpret the lived experiences of participants. Findings revealed that online doctoral students in the dissertation phase valued working with peers and with doctoral graduates from other institutions as a strategy to remain persistent in completing their dissertations. They focused on learning and on sharing with others for social and emotional support in a safe environment. Other elements included being held accountable and being challenged to keep moving. The results could influence instructional design for online doctoral candidates emphasizing the use of SNS for support from a CoP. Implications for positive social change include higher education personnel supporting unmonitored SNS interactions and increasing trust within school-created SNS spaces for students in the dissertation phase.

There is little evidence concerning the impact of professional learning communities (PLCs) at juvenile correctional facilities. This qualitative case study explored the implementation of a PLC at a juvenile correctional facility school that housed students 10 to 19 years of age in southeastern United States. The purpose of this study was to understand the perceptions of teachers and paraprofessionals about how the PLC supported their work as they designed, constructed, and delivered instruction at the correctional facility. The social interactions among engaged educators through collaboration, collective inquiry, reflections, and communication derived from constructivist learning theory. Qualitative methodology included document review and structured face-to-face interviews with 4 teachers and 3 paraprofessionals. Following an inductive model, educators' perceptions were analyzed using an open coding process to derive categories, themes, and meaning. Five themes emerged: professional learning growth and benefits, teacher learning in PLCs, attitude adjustment of the culture, collaboration and sharing, and active engagement of paraprofessionals in PLCs. This study provided 5 recommendations: use allotted time, prioritize concerns, keep an open communication, discuss student-centered questions, and ensure supportive relationships. The findings indicated that the PLC supported teachers and paraprofessionals with strategies and accommodations to promote student achievement. This study has the potential to strengthen teacher collaboration and instruction to empower incarcerated students to succeed academically and become productive citizens.

Attempts to restructure public high schools by establishing separate school-within-a-school (SWS) models have not endured beyond 3 to 5 years. This qualitative case study examined a SWS that has thrived for more than 12 years. The study investigated how teachers at the school explained the success of the SWS, their experience of working at the SWS, and their resilience in addressing the challenges that led to the lack of success of other SWS schools. The theories and models of educational change developed by Fullan, Hargreaves, and Giles and Hord provided a conceptual framework for the study. Data were collected through open-ended questions in individual interviews with 8 teacher participants who each had more than 5 years of experience at the SWS. According to study results, teachers experienced the challenges that led to the closing of other SWS high schools. However, at the inception of the SWS, the leadership established a commitment to the vision of the SWS, a tradition of collaboration among the SWS teachers, and a positive reputation among parents and alumni. The faculty of the SWS maintained its commitment through multiple leadership changes, changes in school/district policies, challenges to the vision, and changes to SWS teachers' workloads and classroom assignments. Sustaining educational change depends on the strength of implementation of the change: strong leadership, stakeholder commitment to the vision, and establishment of a collaborative professional community of teachers. These results provide guidance for educational leaders attempting to implement and sustain educational change, such as the implementation of a SWS.

Many U.S. colleges and universities have created programs to improve retention and graduation rates of Black male students. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the lived experiences of Black male learning community participants and discover what faculty and staff perceive to be major influences on the retention of this population. The conceptual framework was rooted in Tinto's student integration model and Swail's geometric model of student persistence and achievement. The research questions within this study examined what faculty/staff perceive to be a major influence on the retention of minority male learning community participants. The questions also examined the perceptions of black male learning community participants regarding the major influence on their decision to remain at the selected institution after their first year. Data collection included semistructured interviews with 2 faculty, 2 staff, and 6 student learning community participants, and examination of national and local records. Data coding and analysis revealed 5 themes: college selection, college perception, learning community experience, Black male retention, and Black male mentorship. Findings indicated that most learning community participants returned to the institution based on faculty/staff support and a brotherhood bond with their peers. Faculty and staff reported that the institution could retain more minority male students if faculty/staff engagement with students and male mentorship beyond the learning community were increased. The project included a professional development program on effective minority male mentoring strategies for faculty/staff at the selected institution. This project may bring a new perspective on the idea of minority male retention while providing university officials with qualitative data to increase retention.

The problem addressed in the study was the ineffectiveness of professional learning community (PLC) implementation at some secondary campuses in an urban school district despite extensive professional development (PD) provided for principals. The purpose was to investigate perceptions of principals and teachers regarding principal leadership behaviors that contributed to implementing and leading effective PLCs. Researchers have established that effectively managed PLCs positively affect student achievement. The guiding research questions examined the leadership styles, behaviors, and characteristics of principals leading effective PLCs. The conceptual framework was Hord's 5 characteristics of an effective PLC. Using an exploratory case study design, perceptions of 9 teachers and 2 principals were investigated through open-ended surveys and interviews, respectively. Participant inclusion criteria were membership in and presence during the implementation of 2 secondary PLCs which were selected based on evidence of Hord's 5 characteristics. Emergent coding was used to analyze the data and find themes relevant to leading effective PLCs, including participating in and developing PLC expectations and structures, effective 2-way communication with teachers, and teacher empowerment. All themes emerging from the results were components of a transformational leadership style found to be effective in leading PLCs. The resulting project was a PD program for principals to develop implementation plans and intentional behaviors for themselves that will enable them to implement and sustain effective PLCs. This study has the potential to promote positive social change by providing structures for principals to promote teacher growth through PLCs that enhance the quality of education for students which minimizes the effects of cultural and circumstantial differences.

The purpose of this study was to identify general and special education teachers' understanding of professional learning communities (PLCs) at 2 public suburban elementary schools in the western United States. Both schools were in the second year of implementation of PLCs but seemed to be using PLC time to plan lessons. This quantitative descriptive survey sought to to identify the teachers' overall understanding of the 6 dimensions of the Professional Learning Communities Assessment - Revised (PLCA-R) and to determine if there was a difference between general and special education teachers' perceptions of PLCs. This survey was administered to general and special education teachers who had at least 3 years of teaching experience and at least 1 year of participation in a PLC. A total of 23 general education teachers and 10 special education teachers participated. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data from the 6 dimensions and the PLCA-R. The results indicated that both groups understood the PLC process and had favorable perceptions of PLCs. The results of the ANOVA for each of the 7 hypotheses showed that there was no significant difference between general and special education teachers' perceptions of PLCs. The dissemination of results will help administrators focus on the 6 dimensions of a PLC to provide teachers with an in-depth understanding of PLCs, which can help students to achieve their potential.