As the first part of the LeaFaP project, we conducted an extensive international literature review focusing on the concepts of leading and facilitating Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), with a particular emphasis on inquiry and reflection as essential components for effective professional collaboration. The review provided the theoretical foundation for the project’s subsequent work.
Purpose and Approach
The primary goal of this literature review was to develop a theory- and needs-based conceptual framework for PLC leadership and facilitation, intended to guide educators in fostering effective collaboration within PLCs. To achieve this, we compiled insights from six national reports, each prepared by a partner team and covering a distinct strand of the international discourse: Spanish and Spanish-speaking literature (Spain), Greek literature (Greece), Norwegian literature (Norway), German-speaking literature from Austria, Germany and Switzerland (Austria), the US-American discourse (Cyprus), and English-language research from other European countries such as Finland, the Netherlands, England and Sweden (Germany).
Methodology
Each national report analysed at least seven mostly peer-reviewed articles, focusing primarily on conceptual discussions, with a few providing empirical data or practical implications. The review was guided by a shared set of questions developed collaboratively by the project consortium, addressing the concept and settings of PLCs, inquiry and reflection, the roles of those who support and lead PLCs, and cross-cutting aspects of democracy, heterogeneity and digitality. The findings were then synthesised into a consolidated international report identifying common themes and gaps across the six discourses.
Conclusions and Implications
The review described the PLC concept and its variants, the roles of school leaders and facilitators, and the conditions for successful PLCs. It also identified clear gaps in the existing research – in particular, little detail on what facilitators actually do and how they develop their competencies, and limited understanding of how inquiry and reflection are enacted within PLCs. These gaps directly informed the project’s next steps: the conceptual framework, the learning outcomes, and the activities and training for practice.
The national reports and the consolidated international report are available as PDF downloads in the Results section of our website.