A Case Study Of An Expert-led University English Teachers Learning Community

Teachers learning community, as a model of teachers learning and professional development, is currently receiving an increasing amount of attention in the literature on teachers professional development. The present study has focused on investigating how learning activities among university teachers of English occur in pursuit of their professional development within an expert-led learning community that has been organized by college leaders and voluntarily participated by some university teachers of English. To this end, the study investigates what leads teachers to participate in the expert-led teachers learning community, what activities occur in the community, in what ways teachers professional development happen, and what factors facilitate or hinder teachers’ learning in the community.In view of the nature of the research purpose and questions, a multi-method approach was employed in order to understand the community from different perspectives. This approach involves in the adoption of unstructured observation, semi-structured interviews, questionnaires and other documental materials. Fourteen member teachers completed the questionnaires. Follow-up interviews and group interviews served as the primary tool to collect data. The observation on community activities, the interview with the expert and other documental materials as supplementary data have enriched and triangulated the data. Then according to the Grounded Theory, the researcher used content analysis to identify, code and categorize the data. This study lasts for over one year to track and observe the activities in this community.Findings from the study revealed that the expert-led teachers learning community, as a model for TPD, has generated possibilities for teachers, school leaders and outside experts to conduct collaborative and expert-led professional learning in teachers daily learning. It is a combined effort across the expert, college leaders and individual commitment that ensured the sustained professional development for universities teachers of English in this community. Through the learning in the community, member teachers increased their knowledge, transformed their attitude toward their professional development, enhanced their learning and research ability, and constructed cooperative learning culture. A number of factors that facilitate teachers learning in this community were identified as: the interested member teachers, the supportive administrators and the opportunity of contact with the expert. The results of the study contribute to a deep understanding of an expert-led learning community as a model of teachers professional development for university teachers of English in an undeveloped province in China.