Published policy statements and expert advice universally recommend STEM PLCs, with cautions against superficial definition and implementation¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · review r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2010 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Published comments and policy statements support the use of STEM PLCs to an unusual extent, with no opposition, though with cautions about being clear and substantial rather than superficial. → Fulton 2010 q2 i? Of 77 published expert-advice examples, the greatest percentage (46%) were support statements, with policy or position statements (22%) and news articles (15%) next most common. → Fulton 2010 (2)

Evidence¶

Fulton 2010¶

Fulton, K., Doerr, H., & Britton, T. (2010). STEM Teachers in Professional Learning Communities: A Knowledge Synthesis. National Commission on Teaching & America's Future / WestEd. https://www.nctaf.org/resources/events/STEMWingspreadConference.htm

q2 · i? · review · r2

Knowledge synthesis finding on the Type 3 expert-knowledge landscape, reported in the Overview of Key Findings: policy statements support STEM PLCs "to an amazing extent" and, unlike most education topics, "there was no opposition". No effect sizes apply.

"Published comments or policy statements about STEM PLCs support their use to an amazing extent. Unlike most topics in education, there was no opposition;"

Fulton 2010 (2)¶

Fulton, K., Doerr, H., & Britton, T. (2010). STEM Teachers in Professional Learning Communities: A Knowledge Synthesis. National Commission on Teaching & America's Future / WestEd. https://www.nctaf.org/resources/events/STEMWingspreadConference.htm

q2 · i? · review · r2

Characteristics of the Type 3 knowledge source as printed in the knowledge-sources table: 77 examples of published expert advice, of which the "greatest percentage (46%) were support statements", followed by policy or position statements and news articles.

"77 examples, of which greatest percentage (46%) were support statements Most common other types were were policy or position statements (22%);and news articles (15%)."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Participation in STEM PLCs positively impacts teachers' understanding of or preparedness to teach content and attitudes toward teaching methods — related
• Students of teachers in STEM learning communities learn mathematics better, but published evidence covers only mathematics and remains emerging — related
• STEM teachers participating in learning teams deepen their mathematics and science content knowledge and feel more prepared to teach it — related
• Online tools are extending STEM PLCs, with skilled facilitators, collaborative tools, and stable platforms identified as key components — related
• Existing STEM PLC research is methodologically weak by Standards of Evidence review, with no studies rated adequate, but collectively builds a supportive case for valued PLC effects — related
• Research on professional community faces conceptual and methodological difficulties: no universal definition exists and operationalization varies across studies — related