The Professional Learning Community in Special Education Schools: The Principal's Role

The concept of a professional learning community is characterized by the networks of learning processes which exist among its members, where teachers continuously deliberate with one another on how to solve problems that relate to teaching and learning. Interestingly, whereas a growing number of studies have focused on how to promote collective thinking and learning networks among general public school teachers, as well as between general and special education personnel in inclusive contexts, the notion of professional learning communities has not been explicitly deliberated and empirically investigated in the context of special education schools. The present article attempts to fill in this gap in the professional literature and explore the concept of a professional learning community in special education schools. Theconceptual framework of the professional learning community is described, followed by an explanation of the importance of learning communities in special education, focusing on the principal's role in nurturing a learning community in special education schools.