Universal Journal of Educational Research Vol. 8(4), pp. 1535 - 1541
DOI: 10.13189/ujer.2020.080447
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Professional Learning Communities in Malaysian Schools: A Contemporary Literature Review

Rosnah Ishak ¹, Kamarudin Ismail ^1,*, Siti Hajar Kamaruddin ^2
1 Faculty of Management and Economics, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Malaysia
² Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Development, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Malaysia

ABSTRACT

Most professional learning community or PLC studies were often conducted in the Western context. Hence, this literature review study aims to analyze PLC studies among primary and secondary schools in Malaysia between 2009 and 2018. The sources for the data collection process were obtained through searches on Google Scholar pages, Malaysian Citation Index (MyCite), and Scopus using the identified keywords, which are ‘professional learning community', ‘school', and ‘Malaysia'. As a result, 35 empirical studies on PLC have been identified based on the set criteria through published journal articles and seminar papers. A scoping review through a narrative synthesis of the selected literatures, there are five main themes; PLC research methodology, PLC characteristics, PLC practices, the role of higher learning institution researchers, and PLC issues. There have been positive developments in PLC in terms of research and practice. However, the amount of local PLC studies is scarce compared to the Western context. A more robust empirical research is needed to implement PLCs in Malaysia.

KEYWORDS
Malaysia, School, Professional Learning Communities, Professional Development

Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Rosnah Ishak , Kamarudin Ismail , Siti Hajar Kamaruddin , "Professional Learning Communities in Malaysian Schools: A Contemporary Literature Review," Universal Journal of Educational Research, Vol. 8, No. 4, pp. 1535 - 1541, 2020. DOI: 10.13189/ujer.2020.080447.

(b). APA Format:
Rosnah Ishak , Kamarudin Ismail , Siti Hajar Kamaruddin (2020). Professional Learning Communities in Malaysian Schools: A Contemporary Literature Review. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 8(4), 1535 - 1541. DOI: 10.13189/ujer.2020.080447.