Date of Award
8-2026
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Secondary Education and Educational Leadership
First Advisor
Dr. Ali Hachem
Second Advisor
Dr. Wendy Killam
Third Advisor
Dr. Richard Skuza
Fourth Advisor
Dr. Amber Wagnon
Abstract
Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) have been viewed as a tool for improving teacher practices and student outcomes in schools for more than thirty years. Much of the existing research on their effectiveness has focused on the traditional school setting. With the explosion of virtual K-12 schools, less is known about how PLCs function in the fully online environment and how teachers perceive their overall effectiveness. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of teachers working in a full-time virtual school with regard to their participation in Professional Learning Communities. A review of the literature examined the importance and impact of teacher professional development, the development and use of PLCs, and the impact that E-learning has had on these areas. Adult learning theories were considered as a foundation upon which all teacher professional development must rest. This study used a quantitative research design that utilized a cross-sectional survey methodology. Teachers in a fully virtual 3 – 12 public school in Texas were invited to participate in a structured questionnaire, which was created using questions from previously validated surveys. Data collected showed that teachers found the use of PLCs in a virtual environment to be effective with little variation among demographic groups surveyed. The variations among demographic groups suggest areas for educational leaders to further increase the effectiveness of Professional Learning Communities that support teachers in virtual schools.
Repository Citation
Tracy, Charles L. Jr, "PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES IN VIRTUAL K-12 SCHOOLS: SURVEY EVIDENCE FROM TEXAS" (2026). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 675.
https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/675
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Included in
Educational Leadership Commons, Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration Commons, Other Educational Administration and Supervision Commons
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