Examining the Impacts of Building a Professional Learning Community in an Internationalized Middle School in China

This action research project aimed to introduce and examine the impact of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), the Meeting Wise Process, and the Data Wise Process on teaching practices at a Chinese middle school. PLCs, a collaborative model for continuous professional development, have been widely adopted in various educational contexts but remain less common in Chinese middle schools. To address this gap, this study explored the potential of PLCs to foster greater teacher collaboration, align instructional practices, and address key challenges in the school’s teaching and learning processes. The project was implemented over a three-month period, with a focus on training teachers in the use of PLCs and integrating the Meeting Wise and Data Wise Processes into their professional practice. The Meeting Wise Process was introduced to structure and improve the effectiveness of team meetings, while the Data Wise Process encouraged teachers to systematically analyze student performance data to guide instructional decision-making. Throughout the project, teachers from various departments were encouraged to collaborate regularly. Data were collected through pre- and post-intervention surveys, interviews, and meeting observations to assess changes in teacher perceptions and practices. The results indicated an increase in teacher awareness of PLCs and their potential to support professional growth. Teachers reported greater interest in collaborating with colleagues from other departments, recognizing the value of diverse perspectives in addressing shared challenges. Furthermore, the structured approach of the Meeting Wise and Data Wise Processes enabled teachers to engage more deeply with data, leading to a clearer understanding of how to align their practices to address problems of practice within the school. Overall, the project demonstrated that introducing PLCs, along with the Meeting Wise and Data Wise Processes, can enhance teacher collaboration and instructional alignment in a Chinese middle school context. The findings suggest that such approaches hold promise for improving educational outcomes by fostering a more collaborative and data-informed professional culture among teachers. Future research should explore the long-term impact of these processes and their scalability across entire schools.