Professional learning communities, teachers' efficacy beliefs, and their effects on job satisfaction

Teachers' efficacy beliefs extend to a number of topics in education as well as facets within the realm of pedagogy and learning. Professional learning communities (PLCs) serve as a model for teacher collaboration and learning within faculty groups, associating with some aspects of job satisfaction such as peer relationships and leadership. While prior research links efficacy levels to job satisfaction among teachers, and collective efficacy to PLC perceptions, no other study has examined these variables collectively. This study aimed to examine the relationship between PLCs and teachers' efficacy beliefs (self and collective), as well as analyze which variables were also predictors of job satisfaction. Participants included teachers from three independent school districts as well as teachers enrolled in graduate courses at Texas A&M; University-Commerce who completed an online survey. The findings indicated that efficacy beliefs alongside PLC perceptions were associated with job satisfaction. When job satisfaction levels were reflective of certain characteristics, including opportunities for promotion, supervision, and the job in general, positive perceptions of PLCs were a predictor of overall high job satisfaction levels. Important to the field of education, these findings impact student learning and achievement as well as highlight significant aspects of job satisfaction. Moreover, improving collaboration efforts among teachers, while facilitating a supportive, friendly, and empowering learning environment may increase teacher retention levels. Future directions should focus on examining the difference between teacher self-efficacy and general teaching efficacy as well as implementing a more controlled approach to investigating the relationship between the variables, which will purport more valid and reliable results.