تصور مقترح لجماعات التعلم المهني الرقمي کمدخل للتنمية المهنية الذاتية المستدامة على مستوى المدرسة لمعلمي التعليم ما قبل الجامعي

A Proposed Vision for Digital Professional Learning Communities as an Approach to on-Site Sustainable Self Professional Development of pre-University Teachers

Abstract

Teacher professional development poses a dilemma to all education systems, particularly those with huge numbers of teachers. The present study, therefore, sought to develop a proposed vision for a professional development formula that combines professional learning communities with the digital age tools, which the researcher called "digital professional learning communities". For this aim, the descriptive research method was used, and a questionnaire was developed and applied to (625) teachers of all grades and levels in Gharbiyah governorate schools to assess to what extent digital professional learning communities can be integrated in fulfilling on-site sustainable self professional development of pre-university teachers. Having applied statistical tools to study data, it was found that (1) current professional development practices were quantitatively less than teachers' needs and qualitatively were still traditional in their topics, media and content, and that teachers rated current professional development practices moderately (3.34), (2) that IT technologies were not adequately integrated by teachers, and (3) that teachers rated the extent to which digital professional learning communities can be integrated as formula for sustainable on-site self professional development of pre-university teachers highly (4.26 for practices of digital professional learning communities, 4.17 for integrating them in school systems, 4.21 for integrating them in ministry of education's work mechanisms, and 4.19 for their perceived benefits). In light of the above results, the study developed a proposed vision for integrating digital professional learning communities in school and ministry systems and work mechanisms. Finally, further studies were suggested.

Keywords: Digital Professional Learning Communities, on-Site Sustainable Self Professional Development, Pre-University Teachers in Egypt.